Four Models for Strategic EV Infrastructure Beyond EV Manufacturing Investment

When the Ribbon-Cutting Ends, the Real Work Begins

You’ve probably seen the headlines: “State X Lands $5 Billion EV Plant!” or “Major Automaker Brings 10,000 Jobs to Region Y!” These announcements are exciting! They represent serious commitment to electrification and create good-paying jobs. But I feel there’s a point that often gets lost in the celebration. These investments in EV manufacturing are vastly important, but they don’t automatically create or guarantee the charging infrastructure the nearby residents of these investments would need to go electric themselves.

Internal combustion vehicles went through a similar period in their early adoption phase. Having a Ford plant in your state didn’t guarantee convenient gas stations nearby. There was separate innovation and investment in that infrastructure, supported by automakers like Ford. The same logic applies to EV manufacturing. A Hyundai, Rivian, or Scout Motors facility signals that EVs are the future, but without strategic charging infrastructure, that future remains frustratingly out of reach for everyday drivers.

In our previous posts, we covered how to get started with Phase 1 charging infrastructure development and building community support for your projects. Now we’ll examine how four regions successfully secured significant EV manufacturing investments while developing comprehensive charging networks that actually work for people.

TL;DR: The Real Winners Create Both Manufacturing Jobs AND Usable Charging Networks

• Colorado: Systematic interdepartmental planning beats scattered installations
• Northern New Jersey: Regional cooperation and equity focus prevent charging deserts
• North Carolina: Economic development framing attracts broader political support than environmental arguments alone
• Georgia: Manufacturing creates momentum, but parallel infrastructure investment serves actual communities
• Common thread: All four regions led by example through fleet electrification and built partnerships rather than working in isolation
• Bottom line: Manufacturing celebrates futures; strategic infrastructure serves today’s EV drivers

Four Models That Get It Right

Each region took a different path, but all understood that manufacturing investment momentum must convert into actual EV adoption. Their experiences offer practical lessons for any city ready to build charging networks that serve their communities.

Fort Collins, Colorado: The Systematic Planning Model

Fort Collins understood early that establishing an EV charging network required systematic planning to avoid sporadically placed charging stations. They laid out a long-term electrification plan and developed strategic phases that brought them closer to becoming a leader in supporting EV use.

Building a Roadmap, Not Just Stations

In 2018, Fort Collins developed their Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap, a comprehensive strategy with clear goals and defined roles for city departments, private sector partners, and community members. This wasn’t about installing hardware and hoping for the best. Their vision goes further by creating paths for reduced car dependence through land use patterns that shorten trips and provide multimodal public transit, promoting walkable cities that make room for cleaner personal vehicles.

FC Moves became the lead department, establishing an interdepartmental working group that meets regularly for ongoing coordination. No more siloed efforts where planning doesn’t talk to utilities and utilities don’t coordinate with economic development. Every public and private partner communicates to help the community smoothly go electric. Through community outreach programs, they educate residents about going electric while gaining valuable feedback on their plans.

Leading by Example

Citizens witness change in real-time as city fleets and officials go electric. The city won’t advocate for residents to go electric without making the switch themselves first. Fort Collins added 40 EVs and 3 full-sized electric transit buses to their municipal fleet, committing to their plan and proving EV viability for daily city operations.

This commitment to action speaks volumes. When residents see city vehicles running electric routes, charging at public stations, and handling everything from daily commutes to emergency services, it removes the “experimental” stigma from EV adoption and gives the technology credibility.

Policy That Enables Rather Than Restricts

Smart policy can catalyze electrification, making adoption easy. Fort Collins updated building codes to require EV-ready infrastructure in new single-family homes—conduit from electrical panels to garages prepared for Level 2 charging. Simple changes like this mean residents don’t have to retrofit homes later when they’re ready to go electric.

Making Strategic Partnerships Pay Off

Fort Collins’ systematic approach paid dividends when applying for grants. Their clear planning and interdepartmental coordination helped them secure over $1 million in grants for advanced EV charging management solutions. Success came from emphasizing collaboration, obtaining stakeholder support letters, and outlining measurable outcomes—not just asking for money to install more chargers.

They also participate in Drive Clean Colorado, recognizing that regional coordination creates better outcomes than isolated municipal efforts.

What Fort Collins teaches us: Comprehensive planning and interdepartmental coordination create better outcomes than ad-hoc installations. Start with strategy and intention, leading by example to build public confidence in EV adoption.

Northern New Jersey: The Regional Cooperation Model

The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) took a methodical approach demonstrating how regional cooperation creates more robust results than isolated municipal efforts.

Learning Together, Not Separately

Rather than letting each municipality reinvent the wheel, NJTPA partnered with three pilot communities—Montclair Township, Town of Secaucus, and Woodbridge Township—to develop comprehensive local readiness plans. They shared lessons learned and created a detailed Alternative Fuel Vehicle Readiness Guidebook that any municipality can use.

This cooperative model shows the effectiveness of collaboration, combining resources, learnings, and expertise to build robust charging infrastructure. When communities learn together, they develop better solutions and avoid costly mistakes others have already solved.

Addressing Equity From Day One

An important aspect of NJTPA’s regional approach is their focus on charging guidance for multi-unit dwellings (MUDs). While there’s no standard model for installing charging at MUDs, they address options for different MUD styles and ages. Their Guidebook appendix provides significant resources and examples for MUDs to follow.

Renters face fundamentally different obstacles than homeowners, and any serious electrification strategy must account for that reality. Their guidance acknowledges that more affluent MUDs (newer developments or significantly renovated) will likely adopt EV charging first as amenities, but as technology improves and becomes more affordable, other MUDs will benefit from onsite Level 2 charging.

Stakeholder Engagement That Actually Engages

What made their approach effective was bringing diverse voices into planning from day one—local government officials, fleet managers, utilities, businesses, and community organizations. Like Fort Collins, real partnerships and collaborations with industry, utilities, and communities created the “lead-by-example” culture that are hallmarks of successful EV infrastructure strategies.

What Northern New Jersey teaches us: Regional coordination and comprehensive stakeholder engagement create more equitable, robust outcomes than single-city efforts. Plan together, succeed together.

North Carolina: The Economic Development Model

North Carolina approached electrification as an economic development opportunity, proving that EV infrastructure can drive job creation and business investment while serving environmental goals.

Making the Economic Case

Their strategic approach attracted $20.4 billion in private investments and created 16,300 jobs in the EV sector. North Carolina intentionally framed electrification investment as economic policy rather than purely environmental.

Framing EV infrastructure as economic development attracts broader political support and business engagement than purely environmental advocacy. That matters for long-term success and public buy-in.

Strategic Corridor Development

North Carolina secured $109 million over five years for highway charging corridors through NEVI funding, with plans to install fast, reliable charging every 50 miles along almost 4,000 miles of alternative fuel corridors. While much of this federal funding was put under freeze in February 2025, states promised NEVI funding like North Carolina can still proceed with awarding projects. They’re also winning in courts and will access this promised funding over the next few years, as highlighted in Sean Jain’s post on recent guidance from the Federal Highway Administration.

As the bipartisan NEVI program intended, this corridor approach serves multiple strategic purposes:

• Reduces range anxiety for long-distance travel
• Positions North Carolina as EV-friendly for tourism and business travel
• Creates predictable, high-utilization charging locations
• Attracts additional business investment along these corridors

Demonstration Through Fleet Electrification

Smart politics means showing, not just telling. North Carolina received 145 electric school buses through the Clean School Bus program across multiple districts. Every day, thousands of students and families see that electric vehicles are reliable and practical for essential services.

Building Business Community Support

They secured support from 28 business leaders who signed a letter urging acceleration of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification. This private sector endorsement demonstrates that electrification is becoming essential for good business operations and strengthens North Carolina’s strategy of focusing on economic policy development alongside environmental goals.

Not Forgetting Rural Communities

What’s particularly impressive is their focus on rural areas. Through partnerships with organizations like the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, they’ve ensured rural communities aren’t left behind in the transition.

By 2023, North Carolina topped 70,000 electric vehicle registrations, proving their comprehensive approach works.

Becoming the Charging Infrastructure Innovation Hub

What makes North Carolina’s story even more compelling is how their strategic electrification approach has attracted not just vehicle manufacturing, but the entire charging infrastructure ecosystem. The state is rapidly becoming the North American headquarters for global charging technology leaders.

Global Players Choosing North Carolina: Alpitronic, the German leader in DC fast charging technology, selected North Carolina for their North American manufacturing operations. Kempower, the Finnish charging solutions innovator known for modular and efficient charging systems, established their U.S. headquarters in Durham.

Most significantly, IONNA, the joint venture by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis, chose North Carolina as their operational hub. IONNA represents something crucial: major automakers taking direct ownership of the charging experience rather than leaving it entirely to third-party networks.

Why This Matters for American EV Adoption: IONNA’s focus on creating a premium, reliable charging network specifically designed for the American market addresses many pain points current EV drivers face—inconsistent payment systems, varying reliability, and fragmented user experiences. When automakers invest directly in charging infrastructure, they’re acknowledging that vehicle quality alone isn’t enough; the entire ownership experience matters.

A Different Kind of Manufacturing Strategy: While they’ve also attracted other EV manufacturing investments (vehicles, batteries, and critical components), North Carolina is becoming the innovation center for EV infrastructure. While other southern states like Georgia position themselves as vehicle manufacturing hubs, North Carolina has distinguished itself by building the ecosystem that makes EV ownership seamless.

What North Carolina teaches us: Framing electrification as economic development attracts broader support while addressing rural equity prevents gaps. Make it about jobs and opportunity, not just environmental goals.

Georgia: The Manufacturing-Infrastructure Balance Model

As a Georgia resident and EV driver, I’ve watched our state’s electrification story unfold with genuine excitement and careful observation. Georgia’s experience perfectly illustrates both the incredible opportunity and real challenge of balancing major EV manufacturing investments with strategic charging infrastructure deployment that actually serves people like myself and other Georgia residents.

The Manufacturing Investment Wave That Has Me Excited

When Georgia announced that Hyundai Motor Group planned to build their meta plant near Savannah, I couldn’t have been more excited as a prospective IONIQ 5 owner. Hyundai Motor Group’s $5.54 billion commitment in 2024 for their first fully dedicated electric vehicle and battery facility near Savannah has since materialized, creating approximately 8,100 jobs. After owning my IONIQ 5 for nearly a year and experiencing Hyundai’s genuine effort to build great EVs, I’ve become a fan and I’m hopeful about the potential of the state’s partnership with Hyundai—a massive investment in electric mobility’s future.

NOTE: I felt it important to acknowledge unfortunate events in September 2025 at the Hyundai plant. You can read more about this in Building Strong International Partnerships Through Education and Support.

Another investment that has me arguably more thrilled is Rivian’s breaking ground on their $5 billion plant near Social Circle, GA with federal backing of a $6.57 billion loan, expected to create 7,500 operations jobs. As someone who’s followed Rivian’s journey from startup to public company, lining up at their Atlanta space to see R2 and R3 prototypes, I’ve been thrilled by their investment in my home state. The R2 and R3 models they’ll eventually produce there represent exactly the kind of accessible, adventure-ready EVs that could accelerate mainstream adoption.

Combined, these projects represent over $11 billion in manufacturing investment and nearly 16,000 jobs right here in Georgia. These aren’t just impressive numbers for headlines—they represent real economic opportunity and signal that Georgia is serious about leading the electric transition.

Systematic Infrastructure Strategy Complementing Manufacturing Investment

While all this investment is exciting, it’s important to recognize that this doesn’t guarantee reliable charging infrastructure where EV drivers need it. Hyundai and Rivian are committed to building robust charging networks through IONNA and the Rivian Adventure Network, but state investment is also needed to address range anxiety for those hesitant to go electric.

Manufacturing creates the economic foundation and demonstrates commitment, but strategic infrastructure serves actual people trying to live electric in their daily lives. Rather than assuming manufacturing would drive adoption, Georgia developed comprehensive infrastructure strategies that actually serve people:

Statewide Corridor Development: Under Georgia’s NEVI infrastructure plan, the state will spend $135 million between 2022 and 2027 turning major interstate highways—I-75, I-85, I-20, and I-95—into Alternative Fuels Corridors with charging every 50 miles.

Regional Coordination for Real Communities: The Atlanta Regional Commission received $6.1 million in federal funding to install 300-400 EV charging ports across metro Atlanta. They follow the strategic and cost-effective approach I’ve advocated by planning to install Level 2 chargers at 75 to 100 locations with each featuring a minimum of four charging ports at everyday destinations like shopping centers, grocery stores, and government service centers. Focusing on locations where people park regularly for an hour or so multiple times throughout the week allows them to top up without visiting a DCFC station.

Strategic Utility Partnerships

Georgia Power’s Make Ready Infrastructure Program shows how utilities can enable strategic placement rather than hinder it. They offer up to $300,000 in funding per qualifying project to businesses, installing and maintaining electrical infrastructure up to charger ports.

By covering the upfront electrical work, they remove the biggest barrier for businesses wanting to add charging that often costs more than the chargers themselves.

Building Strong International Partnerships Through Education and Support

In September 2025, an ICE raid was conducted at the new Hyundai Meta-Plant that resulted in arrests of over 300 South Korean citizens. This unfortunate event highlights the importance of creating a safe and welcoming environment for foreign investment while ensuring clear communication about regulatory requirements.

As Georgians, we should be proud that South Korea chose our state for this massive $5.54 billion investment, representing one of the largest foreign direct investments in Georgia’s history. This partnership brings advanced manufacturing expertise, creates thousands of jobs, and positions Georgia as a leader in clean energy technology. Protecting and nurturing these relationships is crucial for Georgia’s economic future.

While visa compliance is important, any regulatory issues could have been resolved through proper education and correction rather than enforcement actions that create uncertainty for international partners. Both government agencies and business communities need better frameworks for supporting international manufacturing partnerships. This includes providing clear guidance on visa requirements for specialized technical workers, offering proactive compliance assistance, and creating pathways for addressing issues through collaborative problem-solving.

The goal should be strengthening Georgia’s reputation as a welcoming destination for clean energy investment that brings needed training for new positions for Georgians. When international partners like Hyundai feel supported and confident operating in Georgia, it creates a positive environment that can attract additional clean energy investments to our state.

Moving Forward Together

Georgia now leads the Southeast with 4.4 EV registrations per 1,000 registered automobiles—the only southeastern state approaching the national average of 4.8. The state features nearly 2,000 charging locations with over 3,400 individual outlets to serve more than 30,000 electric vehicle drivers.

These numbers are encouraging, but we have a long way to go before we can support the estimated 30-42 million light-duty vehicles expected to be on the road by 2030 according to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study. NREL estimates we will need nearly 28 million charging ports, over 1 million being public stations that are a mix of DC fast and Level 2 destination charging. This shows there’s no better time to support the future of electric transportation than now.

The foundation is strong, and momentum is building. With continued investment in thoughtful infrastructure placement, combined with supportive frameworks for international partnerships, Georgia could become a model for how manufacturing investment and strategic charging deployment work together to serve real communities while maintaining Georgia’s reputation as a premier destination for clean energy investment.

What Georgia teaches us: Manufacturing investments create jobs and economic momentum, but require parallel strategic infrastructure investment to convert that economic activity into actual EV adoption and community benefit. The combination creates conditions where residents like me can live electric confidently while new manufacturing facilities produce the vehicles we’ll love to drive.

What These Four Models Share

Despite their different approaches, all four regions demonstrate common elements that separate successful electrification from expensive failed experiments:

1. Strategic Planning Over Random Installation

None of these regions scattered charging stations and hoped for the best. They developed comprehensive plans with clear goals, measurable outcomes, and realistic timelines.

2. Strong Partnerships Enable Success

Whether regional cooperation, business engagement, utility partnerships, or state-federal coordination, successful electrification requires working with others. No single organization has all the expertise, funding, or authority needed.

3. Leading by Example Builds Credibility

All four regions electrified their own fleets and operations before asking others to make the transition. When people see EVs working for essential city services, the technology stops feeling experimental.

4. Community Engagement Prevents Opposition

Rather than top-down mandates, they involved stakeholders in planning and addressed concerns proactively. Opposition often comes from feeling excluded from decisions that affect communities.

5. Policy Frameworks Enable Rather Than Restrict

They updated codes, streamlined permitting, and created supportive regulatory frameworks. Good policy makes electrification easier, not harder.

6. Equity Considerations From Day One

Each addressed how to serve renters, low-income communities, and rural areas rather than only focusing on affluent homeowners. Electrification that only works for some people isn’t really working.

7. Economic Integration Creates Broader Support

They connected EV infrastructure to broader economic development goals of job creation, business attraction, and strategic corridor development. Environmental benefits alone often aren’t enough for sustained political support, but economic benefits are hard to ignore.

Applying These Lessons to Your Community

Start with strategic planning, not hardware installation. Even if you’ve already installed Phase 1 charging, develop a comprehensive plan for expansion that includes goals, partnerships, and success metrics.

Build partnerships early and maintain them. Connect with neighboring municipalities, utilities, businesses, and community organizations. Regional cooperation creates better outcomes than isolated efforts.

Lead by example through municipal fleet electrification. Demonstrate commitment and gain practical experience before asking others to make the transition.

Address equity proactively, not as an afterthought. Plan for apartment dwellers, rural areas, and low-income communities from the beginning. These aren’t edge cases—they represent significant portions of your community.

Frame economically alongside environmental goals. Emphasize job creation, business attraction, and economic development. Make electrification about opportunity and prosperity, not just environmental responsibility.

Balance manufacturing excitement with infrastructure reality. If your region attracts EV manufacturing, celebrate the economic development but pursue parallel strategic infrastructure investment to serve actual community needs.

Engage stakeholders continuously. Make community engagement an ongoing collaboration process, not just occasional consultation sessions.

Electrification Is Possible and the Models Are Out There

These four regions prove that comprehensive electrification is achievable with the right approach. Manufacturing investments are exciting and important, but they’re just the beginning of the story. The communities that succeed in electrification understand that manufacturing creates economic foundation, while strategic infrastructure and community engagement serve the people.

Your community’s electrified future depends on balancing celebration of economic opportunities with building the charging networks your residents actually need. Adopting proven strategies and models that work best for your community can prepare your city to become electrified sooner than you think. It’s an economic and sustainable opportunity worth venturing into.

Next in this series: We’ll explore technological solutions that can help cities overcome common barriers to EV infrastructure deployment and management.