Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Tours the ‘Battery Belt’
U.S. domestic manufacturing is ramping up with investments in batteries, electric vehicles, and energy storage.
San Diego (June 30, 2023) — The Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) is proud to support the Department of Energy (DoE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s clean energy town hall tour of the Southeast this summer, as she highlights domestic manufacturing investments in batteries, energy storage, electric vehicles, charging stations, and virtual power plants.
Left to right: David Boraks, reporter, WFAE-Charlotte Public Radio, Charlotte Mayor, Vi Lyles, David’s Loren Haywood, VP Student Affairs, Johnson C. Smith University and Bruce Cole, South Carolina EVA Chapter President,
President of the South Carolina EVA Chapter, Bruce Cole, attended the opening event in Charlotte, a business roundtable event. “We had a fun day in Charlotte learning about EV and battery manufacturing investments being made in the Southeast,” says Cole. “Some people are calling the Southeast the Battery Belt.”
The Secretary’s town hall tour started with her driving an all-electric Cadillac Lyriq in Charlotte, including stops in South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. The Secretary stopped at ABB’s DC Fast Charging manufacturing plant in Columbia, SC. ABB has been producing charging stations overseas at manufacturing facilities in Italy, Poland, Hungary, and China for import into the United States for the last five years. With the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, ABB decided to contract with West Columbia-based FLEX to build units stateside, allowing its customers to take advantage of the financial incentives offered by the legislation.
Sec. Granholm tour ended in Tennessee on June 29, where Ford and VW have invested in multiple manufacturing plants – battery and vehicle – to meet the goal of 50% of all cars being EVs by 2032.
Tennessee is home to the Knoxville EVA chapter, and this local organization is a powerhouse in showcasing electric vehicles in the state. The Knoxville EVA held the second-largest National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) event last year and the chapter collaborates with the Oak Ridge National Labs for ride and drives.
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