A company that makes charging stations for electric vehicles is announcing plans for its first U.S. facility. ADS-TEC says it will spend $8 million dollar on the project in Auburn. It is expected to create about one hundred and eighty jobs. Plans call for a sales, warehousing and assembly facility, which should be operational by 2024. Company officials say hiring has already begun. ADS-TEC Energy uses lithium-ion technology to create rapid electric charging stations, with battery buffers that allow for fast charging without the need to expand power grids.
While this company focuses on electric car charging stations, other businesses are working to build more battery powered vehicles. Mercedes Benz unveiled its new electric SUV built in Alabama back in April. This move came as State leaders worked to electrify how residents get from here to there. Hyundai and the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition joined together to create Drive Electric Alabama. The initiative is working to educate Alabamians about the benefits of electric vehicles. Michael Staley is the President of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition. He says the Yellowhammer State has lagged behind others in its use of electric vehicles.
“The availability of charging for travel is on the rise,” said Staley. “In fact, over the next 5 years, $79 million will be invested in Alabama from the federal government alone to install chargers at business locations.”
Mercedes-Benz unveiled its new electric SUV, the EQS, which will be built at the European automakers North American plant in Tuscaloosa County. The batteries for the new vehicles are being manufactured in nearby Bibb County. Staley says the new vehicles won’t work without the new recharging stations.
“If we do not have charging infrastructure, they will go around Alabama to other places where they can charge,” Staley insists. “We want to make sure that Alabama is ready to attract drivers looking to charge their cars during long distance travel because those drivers spend money and that supports our communities.”
Twenty-percent of cars sold in the United States are predicted to be electric vehicles by 2030.