Florida’s Electric Vehicle Future

There is a major push to make the electric vehicle a more widespread option for personal and shared vehicles. In Florida, many cities are transitioning their fleets of buses and cars to electric with the goals of reaching targeted adoption percentages as a money-saving initiative and a sustainability measure. The legislation will help encourage more electric vehicles (EV) on our roadways, as well. To do so, charging stations need to be readily available for drivers. Luckily Florida is preparing for the future wave of electric cars and preparing our state for the expansion of electric vehicle travel.

Last summer, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that $8.6 million would be put into funding to help prepare Florida for the electric vehicle infrastructure. This investment will be used to expand the charging stations on Florida’s most traveled corridors. The expansion will bring a 50% increase in electric charging stations and is a big step in paving the way for more electric vehicles on Florida roads. 

“Electrification will be the biggest shift in mobility Florida sees over the next decade,” said Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg), a leader in automated vehicle policy solutions. “Florida’s technology-friendly policies are attracting investments in deployment from around the world.”

In 2020, there were 10 million electric vehicles in the United States, with estimates projecting for at least half of new cars in the U.S. to be electric by 2030. Florida has the second-highest number of electric vehicles in the country, so ensuring adequate charging stations is a must.

At the Florida Automated Vehicles (FAV) Summit in Orlando next month, the megatrend of electric vehicles will be discussed from various angles. Policy, venture capital investment, delivery, and supply chain considerations will be part of the captivating discussions from keynote speakers from industry-leading organizations. The 2021 FAV Summit will take place on November 29 through December 1 in Orlando, FL, at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel.

The shift to EV will require careful planning to ensure ample plug-in locations and that the power plants can handle the energy demands. THEA is plugged into all the ACES concepts (Automated, Connected, Electric, and Shared) as ways to improve safety and mobility in the future of driving.