A proposal led by The University of Alabama (UA) to strengthen the Deep South’s role in production and support of electric vehicles (EVs) was selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for further development. The $1 million planning grant from the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program positions UA and its partners, the University of Georgia and Mississippi State University, to compete alongside 44 other teams for up to $160 million over 10 years in the first-ever NSF Engines Development Awards, which aim to help partners collaborate to create economic, societal and technological opportunities for their regions.