By Trimmel Gomes, Florida News Connection
Florida leads the Southeast in electric-vehicle sales, surpassing half a million vehicles sold. But a new report warns fast charger gaps and policy shifts could stall momentum in the EV industry.
The year-end report from the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and Atlas Public Policy reveals a stark contradiction: While consumer demand for EVs remains strong, political whipsawing and policy uncertainty are starting to erode the jobs and investments that drive the market.
Stan Cross, the alliance’s electric transportation director, said the state’s biggest challenge isn’t consumer interest – it’s ensuring the infrastructure can handle more EVs and the realities of climate change.
“So making sure that those fast charger gaps are closed,” he said, “making sure that solutions like mobile fast charging that can be deployed during storm evacuations and other type solutions are deployable, is going to be really important for Florida as Floridians continue to adopt the technology.”
The report finds Florida’s fast-charging availability lags behind the regional average. For every 1,000 electric cars on Florida roads, there are only about eight fast-charging plugs. The state also risks further setbacks after losing $44 million in federal money for chargers because it didn’t act fast enough.
Despite the decline, Cross said, the EV transition remains the greatest economic development opportunity the region has ever seen. He pointed to strong consumer satisfaction as a key sign of long-term market resilience. Even with federal tax credits gone and tariffs creating uncertainty, he said most EV drivers would never go back to a gas-powered car.
“And what we’re seeing there is 96% of current EV drivers plan to buy another EV,” he said. “That is extreme satisfaction. The second is what’s happening with consumers interest, consumers who are shopping for new cars. About 25% of those consumers are very likely to buy an electric vehicle.”
Nationally, one in four vehicles sold worldwide last year was electric. Cross urged state leaders to work with manufacturers to reduce political volatility and create market certainty, arguing that if the region leans into the transition, more jobs and investment will follow.
Florida News Connection is a bureau of the Public News Service. Banner photo: An electric vehicle charging in a parking garage in St. Petersburg (iStock image).
Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here. To support The Invading Sea, click here to make a donation. If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece to The Invading Sea, email Editor Nathan Crabbe.
