The City of Atlanta has joined the U.S. Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge which aims to increase the number of American employers offering workplace charging for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) by tenfold in the next five years.

Today at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, officials from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) welcomed the City of Atlanta and other local partners into the effort that was launched by the Energy Secretary, Ernest Moniz, in 2013.

“Atlanta has seen tremendous growth in PEV adoption from our citizens, but to meet driver demand, PEV charging points must be available and accessible,” said Denise Quarles, Director of Sustainability. “As roughly 400,000 metro Atlantans commute to employment destinations each day, charging stations in convenient locations, such as parking decks, present the perfect opportunity for PEV owners to charge their vehicles. The City of Atlanta is proud to be a partner of the Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge and encourages businesses in the Atlanta area to take the pledge as well.”

The Workplace Charging Challenge asks its Partners to commit to assessing employee demand for PEV charging at the workplace and developing and executing a plan to provide PEV charging access for employees. 

Currently, the city’s Government Center Parking deck, assessable by Washington Street and Central Avenue, houses six chargers. The chargers, available on a first come first served basis, are also available to the public free of charge and convenient to the City of Atlanta Municipal Court, Atlanta Public Schools, City Hall, and the State of Georgia. 

Ranked second nationally in 2013 for PEV sales in North America, Atlanta is also home to a number of robust workplace charging programs. A growing number of employers in the Atlanta area have already installed employee charging stations including: the Coca Cola Company, the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), AT&T, UPS, ING, Turner Broadcasting and Siemens. In addition to these employers, Lenox Mall and Atlantic Station are also a part of the growing number of shopping and activity centers offering publicly accessible, no-cost charging stations.

Employer-provided PEV charging serves as an attractive employee benefit, enhances corporate sustainability efforts, and signals leadership in adopting advanced technology. It also fills a critical gap for employees who have moved to PEVs as their means of daily commuting. The ability to charge at work can potentially double the all-electric commuting range for a PEV driver. 

As part of Atlanta’s sustainability initiative, Power to Change, the City of Atlanta has placed a priority on improving energy efficiency in its buildings and across its vehicle fleet. The Office of Sustainability, in conjunction with the Office of Fleet Services and the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA) are actively examining alternative fuel technology vehicles to replace City vehicles as they reached the end of their useful life. 

For a comprehensive listing of EV stations across the city, go to www.plugingeorgia.com. 

The City of Atlanta encourages local employers to sign up for the Workplace Charging Challenge. For more information on the initiative and a full list of partners, please visit http://energy.gov/eere/vehicles/ev-everywhere-workplace-charging-challenge-partners.