Georgia Power, with 179 electric vehicles (EVs), has one of the nation’s largest fleets. In May or June, an additional 100 Ford Ranger EVs and GM EV1s will arrive to kick-off their new employee leasing commuter program.
Georgia Power sees EVs as a future market for its electricity and as a way to improve the poor air quality of the metropolitan Atlanta region, which is not meeting Clean Air Act standards.
Employees that live within 40 miles of work are eligible to lease an EV – and there’s a waiting list. The employee pays $200 a month for the EV1 and $150 a month for the Ranger, about half what they’d pay in California or Arizona. The lease includes installation of a charger at the employee’s home. 100 more EVs will be added to the program each year through 2002.
“The ultimate goal is to bring the (EV) market here to Atlanta”. And Georgia Power customers are already calling with questions how they too can lease an EV.
The company will double the number of public chargers from 25 – 50 this year. MARTA, Atlanta’s light rail transit system, will install public chargers at its train stations.
In a show of bipartisanship, Georgia Congressmen Collins (R) and Lewis (D) will offer legislation this year to amend the current EV federal tax credit of 10 percent to a flat $4000 credit and extend it to 2008. Companies who lease EVs to the government would also qualify for the $4000 credit.
Gary Floyd, manager of the new EV program, fully expects other electric utilities to emulate Georgia Power’s employee lease program, but he hopes other companies besides utilities will introduce similar programs for their employees.
Georgia Power’s EV page: http://www.southernco.com/site/ev/
Source: EV World
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