Status Update: SC’s Plan for EVs
Late September and October have a busy few weeks in the world of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in South Carolina. Driven in large part by the creation of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Grant Program in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), as well as legislation adopted by the SC Legislature to study how to meet the growing demand for vehicle electrification in the state, this fall was the time for a lot of that planning and research work to come to fruition.
Below is a list of the major steps made by South Carolina during this time:
SC Electric Vehicle Stakeholder Initiative Report
In late 2020 the SC Energy Office (housed under the Office of Regulatory Staff) began the work of compiling a report that would detail how South Carolina can explore opportunities to advance EV deployment, and propose potential policy and programs to meet those opportunities. With over 350 stakeholders from around the state, the report was published in late September of 2022.
SC NEVI Plan
As part of the NEVI program nationwide, every state had to submit their “NEVI Plans” on how they intend on deploying their state’s portion of national NEVI funds. South Carolina’s portion of funds will be $70 million over the next five years. That plan was submitted to the federal government for review and approval. South Carolina’s was approved, along with all other states, in October.
Gov. McMaster’s Executive Order
Announced at the SC Electric Vehicle Summit held in Greenville, Gov. McMaster announced a new Executive Order which accomplishes the following:
Establishes an EV Economic Development Initiative
This includes directing the SC Department of Commerce to appoint a lead staff member to monitor EV needs, implement strategies developed, and coordinate with various stakeholders.Enhance the EV Workforce
Directs the Department of Employment & Workforce (DEW) to study the needs of the EV workforce, its impacts on the state’s overall job growth strategies, and propose necessary alignments with those needs.Creates EV Interagency Working Group
Directs the SC Department of Transportation (DOT) to coordinate an inter-agency working group across multiple state agencies to ensure efforts to support EV needs across the state.
BMW Announces $1.7 Billion Expansion for EV Production
On October 19 BMW announced a $1.7 billion expansion of their South Carolina footprint, 30+ years after their original announcement of their upstate plant. The expansion will be focused solely on EV production of the X line.
By 2030, six all electric models will be produced at the Spartanburg County plant.
$1 billion of the investment will be at the existing Spartanburg plant to expand production, while $700 million will be to create a new battery-making plant in Woodruff, SC, fifteen miles from the larger plant.
Why it Matters: Demand globally for EVs is surging, especially in Europe and Asia two of South Carolina’s primary export markets. Thirty years ago there were zero automotive industry jobs in SC outside of regular maintenance and sales. With BMW’s original announcement that has changed drastically over those three decades. BMW’s new announcement marks a huge shift in not just BMW’s role in the Upstate, but the nature of SC’s economy. This announcement will now shift, over time, the entire automotive supply chain in SC’s automotive sector.