Electric cars have place in region

Almost imperceptible at first, electric car charging stations in metro Atlanta are becoming more commonplace.

With about 345,000 electric vehicles registered in the U.S., and an estimated 12,000 on the road in Georgia, building and operating the charging infrastructure is a growth industry. There are hundreds of public charging stations at shopping centers, office parks and other locations around metro Atlanta.

The other day, I checked out the Brookwood Marketplace Shopping Center in south Forsyth County, where there are two charging units, a fast charge that can juice up a car in about a half-hour and a slower one that takes several hours. During my visit, David Crust of Alpharetta and Palaniappan Palaniappan of Suwanee were discussing the relative virtues of their electric cars.

Even though they have the trickle chargers as standard equipment, they visit this or other charge stations once or twice a week to avail themselves of the fast charge provided while they also do a little shopping. It’s the electric car owners’ version of multitasking.

While both drivers really like their vehicles, especially not paying for gasoline, they dislike the current range limitations of their cars. Both electric car owners remain optimistic about advancements in battery technology making the future of these cars even brighter down the road. They drive the same brand of car, and with their purchase they also received a charging card allowing them to fuel for free for the first two years. The two men quickly added that after that time, fueling is still considerably less expensive than buying gas.

Several companies have become leaders in building and operating stations located in our area. The one I visited is operated by NRG Energy Corp. Its communications director is Jeremy Desel, based in Houston, Texas. NRG has 28 stations in the Atlanta area now, and Desel responded “undoubtedly yes” when I asked if NRG foresees continued growth in metro Atlanta. Asked about how the current trend of falling gasoline prices might affect that growth, Desel said unless gasoline dropped to around $1 a gallon, lower prices would not be a deal breaker for them and their expansion plans.

NRG operates in 19 U.S. markets, and the spokesman declared that by the end of 2016 his company will offer charging services in 75 cities. Clearly, availability of charging locations is crucial as most ecars have a range of under 100 miles except for the pricey Tesla which can cruise over 200 miles on a charge.

Change is in the wind, the question remains whether the motoring public will resist or accept the change especially in light of the recent termination of Georgia’s generous tax credits.