EVENT RECAP: Is Florida ready for surge in EVs?
A panel of experts convened by Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) discussed at the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals’ recent statewide conference on May 7.
Florida now has the second-highest number of vehicles of any state in the country, with nearly 300,000 electric vehicles registered in the state, and 1 of every 10 cars purchased in Florida is an electric vehicle.
Leading the panel discussion was Alan Byrd, Florida outreach director for CICE. The panel consisted of:
Rebekah Arthur, president & CEO, Seminole County Chamber
Ben Pauluhn, president, Optimus Energy Solutions
Adam Stark, academic dean, Center for Computer and Engineering Technology, Seminole State College
Evelyn Cardenas, president, Central Florida Automotive Dealers Association
“Our goal was to showcase the efforts taking place to build the infrastructure and workforce needed to support the growing number of electric vehicles on Florida’s roads,” Byrd says. “We wanted to highlight the roles chambers can play in helping reach the levels needed to accommodate the demand.”
Some of the discussion highlights during the panel were:
A charger program being tested with the Seminole County Chamber. Higher-level members of the chamber can acquire no-cost EV chargers from Optimus Energy Solutions. Multiple organizations, including the county government and the local hospital system, are exploring possible locations. Arthur urged chambers to not just look at this as embracing EVs, but also as a public safety initiative. Her county is looking to put chargers at all 18 hurricane shelters, to help facilitate potential evacuations during hurricane seasons.
According to Pauluhn, chambers can help address permitting delays for charger installations, which has taken his company more than eight months for one charger. Pauluhn also talked about some of the workforce issues facing his company, finding quality staff to install and maintain chargers.
Cardenas discussed the critical need for skills technicians who service not just EVs but hybrid and hydrogen vehicles as well. Her organization has been designated to receive $1M in funding from FL’s legislature to help build apprenticeship programs with automotive dealers across the state. Similarly, Seminole State College is focused on providing training in this area. Stark shared that the college has built a successful automotive repair program in conjunction with Ford and General Motors. Students can receive a certificate for the training and also receive an A.A.S. degree in Automotive Engineering Technology.
Finally, Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy announced a new program in conjunction with Optimus Energy Solutions where chambers throughout Florida may qualify for a no-cost charger at their buildings. The program originated with the group’s work at the Sanibel-Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce, where CICE and Optimus provided the first public charger for the island, which was ravaged by Hurricane Ian. If interested, chambers can connect with Alan Byrd.