Georgia gas hogs are key to climate success
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Weaning a relatively small percentage of Georgia drivers from their gas-guzzlers and into an electric vehicle could make a sizable dent in the state's carbon footprint.
Why it matters: Transportation is one of the largest sources of Georgia's carbon emissions, and metro Atlanta is an EV hotspot. However, the multigenerational migration to EVs will require policy, investment and coordination.
Driving the news: New data from Coltura, a pro-EV nonprofit, says so-called "superusers" or "super drivers" make up roughly 11% of Georgia drivers but use more than one-third of the state's gasoline.
- The report defines a superuser as a person who drives a car, truck or SUV more than 116 miles on weekdays, among other measures.
The big picture: "A Georgia superuser switching to an EV has 4.5 [times] the climate impact of other drivers switching, on average," the report says.
- If every superuser in Georgia switched to EVs, the state's transportation carbon emissions would dip by 13%. Georgia's total carbon emissions would drop by 6.1%.
Zoom in: Metro Atlanta's roughly 319,000 superusers could save $4,652.34 a year if they transitioned to an EV, Coltura told Axios.
Of note: Nearly half of Georgia superusers earn less than the state's median income, and helping them and others transition to EVs using incentives and greater awareness could save their households $410 a month.
What they're saying: Building out EV infrastructure, along with building new transit options, is smart policy, Jennette Gayer of advocacy group Environment Georgia told Axios, and an incentives program makes sense.
Reality check: Georgia's a bit of a conundrum when it comes to EVs. Metro Atlanta is one of the country's EV hubs, and Georgia's become a magnet for factories building the next generation of automobiles.
- Yet in July 2015, Georgia eliminated its very popular, very generous EV tax credit; new EV sales dropped sharply. A 2023 law requires EV drivers to pay an excise tax at public charging stations, in addition to an annual registration fee.
State of play: The gasoline-to-battery movement requires political will, Gayer said, and in the meantime, Georgia should continue building its EV infrastructure to ease charging anxiety.