The Drive Electric Alabama EV Summit gathered electric vehicle (EV) experts, thought leaders, and policymakers in Alabama. The event was designed to get ahead of the anticipated surge of EV drivers in the coming years. The summit brought together representatives from the automotive manufacturing sector, utilities, and a range of businesses to discuss the opportunities and challenges posed by the growth of EVs.

Over the past two decades, the Southeast has become a global center of automotive manufacturing. As new automotive manufacturing facilities such as the Rivian plant in Georgia are being built, consideration for how these facilities are futurproofed for EV manufacturing is a focus.

Cedric Daniels, Alabama Power’s manager of Electric Transportation, said one of the goals of the summit is for attendees to leave the conference with “actionable knowledge” about investing wisely for the oncoming EV wave, including how to apply for government grants to install EV charging infrastructure at their businesses.

The EV trend is not limited to passengar cars. Autocar delivered its first electric vehicle with technology it developed in Alabama, a signal that the manufacturer of specialized trucks sees a future in EVs. Their first EV truck was delivered to Old Dominion Freight Line’s which operated a fleet of 52,000 trucks.

Birmingham, Alabama continues to lead the state in attracting innovative companies that are prepared to make large investments in the local economy. The Southeast with its tax-friendly climate, well-developed infrastructure including many deep ports, and highly trained workforce is positioned to grow for the forseeable future.