Atlanta on a Path to Clean Car Leadership

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Environment Georgia

On Monday Nov. 20th the Atlanta City Council passed 17-O-1654 the “Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Readiness Requirement for New Construction,” which requires 20% of all new commercial parking structures and all new single-family residential homes in Atlanta be “EV ready”, meaning that they will be equipped with the conduit and wiring needed to install EV charging stations.

A statement from Jennette Gayer, Executive Director of Environment Georgia follows:

“We applaud the Atlanta City Council for supporting this ordinance which will help make our city a clean car leader. The adoption of large numbers of electric vehicles (EVs) offers many benefits for Atlanta, including cleaner air and the opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Electric vehicles are far cleaner than gasoline-powered cars, with lower greenhouse gases and lower emissions of the pollutants that contribute to smog and particulate matter.

In 2016, sales of fully electric vehicles increased by 22 percent over 2015. From January to August 2017, sales of electric vehicles were up 31 percent over the same period in 2016. The introduction of Tesla’s Model 3 and other affordable, long-range electric vehicles suggests that growth in EV sales is just beginning.

But with more EVs on the road, and many more coming soon, cities need to ensure that EV users have places to recharge their vehicles. In city centers and neighborhoods without off-street residential parking, providing access to charging can be challenging.

The good news is that smart public policies, including the common-sense policy passed by Atlanta, can help Atlanta lead the electric vehicle revolution while expanding access to clean transportation options.”

 

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