Atlanta, GA —On Tuesday, August 26, leaders from across the Southeast convened in Atlanta for the inaugural Battery Belt Charging Forward Forum, hosted by the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM) at the University of Georgia with guest experts from the American EV Jobs Alliance, Kia Georgia, MAGNET, the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, among other partners.
This closed-door session was one of the first regional convenings in the Southeast dedicated specifically to the link between charging policy, infrastructure deployment, and consumer adoption challenges. The expert roundtable brought together expert representatives from utilities, academia, OEMs, industry, and policymakers from Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina to explore charging infrastructure as a critical unlock for EV adoption, economic competitiveness, and the future mobility industry.
Featured Experts and Topics
- Michael E. Murphy, Executive Director, The American EV Jobs Alliance —Shared voter survey data showing that charging reliability is the top concern for EV adoption, and emphasized that framing electric vehicles around jobs and competitiveness resonates most strongly with the public.
- Mike Oatridge, Chief Executive Officer, MAGNET —Outlined MAGNET’s tri-state tech hub and research partnership of which Southern Company and the University of Georgia/GNEM are founding members, highlighting how charging access and supply chain resilience directly support U.S. competitiveness and national security.
- Stuart Countess, President & CEO, Kia Georgia, Inc., and Kevin Neal, Director, External Affairs, EV Sales, Ford Motor Company —Joined a panel moderated by Gabrielle Pierre, GNEM Director of Strategy and Partnerships, to discuss OEM priorities for scaling charging access and ensuring that infrastructure keeps pace with manufacturing investment.
- Dr. Elaine Buckberg, Senior Fellow, Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, Harvard University; former Chief Economist, General Motors and
Dr. Omar Isaac Asensio, Associate Professor, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology; Director, Data Science & Policy Lab —Presented data-driven insights on charging reliability, maintenance, and opportunities for model legislation to accelerate infrastructure deployment through mandating data availability on reliability, maintenance, and uptime. - Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Director of Industry Insights, Cox Automotive Inc. —Delivered an EV market update, underscoring how charging infrastructure impacts both new and used EV adoption and long-term consumer confidence.
Roundtable Themes
- Cross-State Collaboration:Reinforcing the importance of policy alignment across state lines to sustain EV adoption, advanced automotive manufacturing and continued regional economic development and growth.
- Infrastructure as Market Enabler:Recognizing charging as a key linchpin for both consumer uptake and continued manufacturing competitiveness.
- Research & Data:Leveraging academic, voter, and industry insights to guide policy and improve reliability.
- Industry Leadership: Ensuring OEMs, utilities, and policymakers are aligned in building public confidence and scaling infrastructure.
“Charging infrastructure will likely form the backbone of the Southeast’s role as the nation’s leading hub for electric and future mobility manufacturing and innovation and we’re excited to lead in seeding these necessary regional partnerships and collaboration opportunities focused on key unlocks for the industry,” said Gabrielle Pierre, director of strategy and partnerships at the University of Georgia’s Georgia Network for Electric Mobility.
Also in attendance at the meeting was Georgia public service commissioner Tim Echols. “Batteries have become the new generator providing back-up in case of storm outage, and with more and more vehicles able to provide power to the home, it is important,” said Echols. “I have had eight EVs over the last 13 years and the products continue to get better and better.”
The Battery Belt Charging Forward Forum marked a critical step in aligning public and private sector leaders to meet electric vehicle drivers’ needs while reinforcing the Southeast’s leadership in electric and broader advanced mobility innovation and manufacturing.
“Making public charging seamless for EV drivers is a crucial enabler for EV adoption, which means jobs in the Southeast,” said Elaine Buckberg, senior fellow at the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University. “Conversations like this at the Battery Belt Charging Forward Forum position the Southeast Battery Belt region to lead in charging, as well as EV and battery production.”
GNEM will continue convening regional and national expert roundtables in the months and years ahead to strengthen collaboration across the region and beyond.
About the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM)
The Georgia Network for Electric Mobility is a statewide strategy engine, public-private partnership network, industry consortium, and think tank embedded at the University of Georgia. With founding partners including Georgia Power, Cox Automotive, Kia Georgia, and the Georgia Department of Transportation, GNEM works across research, workforce development, community engagement, and industry partnerships to advance electric and future mobility in Georgia and across the Battery Belt.
Writer/Contact: Gabrielle Pierre, [email protected]
