Since the first Ford Model T rolled off the assembly line in 1908, Detroit has been synonymous with the American automobile industry. But in the age of the electric car and amid a renaissance in domestic manufacturing, Georgia is quietly emerging as the undisputed national leader in the electrified automotive sector.

It sounds like a provocative claim, but the numbers don't lie. According to the Clean Economy Tracker and a new data analysis recently released by Atlas Public Policy and the CHARGE coalition, Georgia currently leads the nation in committed investments and permanent jobs in electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, beating every other state in the country — including Michigan. Since November 2021, when the bipartisan infrastructure bill spurred further corporate investment in clean energy, a whopping $22 billion and nearly 24,000 new jobs in private electric vehicle and battery manufacturing have been announced for Georgia.

These investments are already having a real impact in communities across the state. For example, Blue Bird's Peach County factory has taken advantage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill's Clean School Bus program, which helps companies shift their production from polluting diesel engines to more efficient electric buses. Blue Bird's electrified, iconic yellow buses are cleaner and safer for the children who use them and the neighborhoods they serve. Today, the Fort Valley plant employs 2,000 workers in a town of just 9,000 residents—and Blue Bird has already announced plans to increase production from two to twenty electric buses per day. Blue Bird is also developing a Registered Apprentice Program to train workers in partnership with local colleges, high schools and vocational schools.

Hyundai is another Georgia automaker that operates multiple electric vehicle and battery plants. The company just signed a memorandum of understanding with Savannah Technical College to offer training to aspiring electric vehicle industry employees for jobs related to shop operations, electrical fundamentals, and hybrid and electric vehicle servicing. Similar programs are now in place at Columbus and Augusta Technical Colleges. These newly trained employees will support growing manufacturing sites. Hyundai's massive $7.6 billion assembly plant in Ellabell is expected to create over 2,000 construction and 8,500 permanent jobs and ultimately build 300,000 electric vehicles per year. Domestic automakers are also expanding their operations. American electric SUV and pickup truck maker Rivian plans to build its second manufacturing facility in the state, which is expected to employ 7,500 people by 2030.

The cash injection for the electric vehicle and battery industries that is driving this growth will be directly supported by the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the tax credits enshrined in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. FREYR, the Norwegian battery company, chose to build a $2.6 billion facility near Atlanta rather than in Norway because of the IRA incentives. Out of 130 options in 25 states, the Atlanta metropolitan area was chosen because of its easy access to air, sea and rail ports and its strong engineering workforce trained at schools like Georgia Tech.

In this chaotic election year, it's no secret that electric car policy has become a lightning rod for partisan calculations – Democratic politicians often claim they are for electric cars while Republicans oppose them. However, Governor Brian Kemp recently visited the Kia plant in West Point to celebrate the hundreds of new jobs created with the production of the EV9, an electric car that was named North American Commercial Vehicle of the Year. Interestingly, 97% of the nearly 24,000 electric car and battery production jobs announced for the state since the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill are in congressional districts represented by Republican lawmakers.

These electric vehicle facilities not only create much-needed jobs and tax revenue for the state—they also solidify Georgia's position as a major technology hub in the growing clean energy economy. As the governor said during his visit to the Kia factory in West Point after watching the first Georgia-built electric vehicle roll off the assembly line, “We are working to become the electric mobility capital of the nation.”