Though electric cars date before the year 1900, man has either been unable or unwilling to deliver them in any meaningful volume.  I am happy to report that before the end of this year, all will change as the race to dominate electric cars has begun.

Nissan, Ford, and General Motors will be the first in the race but will be quickly followed by others.   In fact, within the next three years, almost every automaker in the world will offer a model with a plug while new automakers, like Tesla Motors and China's BYD, enter the arena.  This is welcome news for environmentalists who have long sought cleaner air and all of us who would rather not buy oil from Russia, Venezuela, and kingdoms in the Middle East.

So what does this mean for South Carolina, a decidedly automotive state? We are home to BMW, Michelin, Timken, Cummins, and all the suppliers associated with them.  We host a gem of a research facility in the form of Clemson's iCar (International Center for Automotive Research).  Shouldn't a "right to work" state that is always a top contender for new manufacturing, position itself well for growth?  Shouldn't a state that lands the likes of Google and Boeing, be a leader in the new economy?  What about the advantage of an efficient port and highway system that links Charlotte, Greenville, and Atlanta?

These advantages position us well but challenges remain.  Having car companies in the state is not the same as having electric car companies in the state.  Tennessee has decided to build Nissan's electric car for the common man while California has chosen Tesla to build electric cars for the affluent. In both cases, securing those plants went beyond finding the cheapest labor, land, and taxes. Electric cars and extended range electric cars require new skills, infrastructure, and incentives.

Fortunately, stakeholders across South Carolina are trying to address these challenges and meet these new requirements.  Clemson's iCar has developed a forward thinking program called Deep Orange.  I've visited the campus and have seen how their students manufacture a new prototype vehicle each year.  According to iCar,"Each prototype attempts to leapfrog the latest vehicle technologies by eliminating the constraints and 'we've-always-done-it-that-way' legacies that pervade the automotive industry."

Because every house and business has an electric outlet, some may say all states have an electric infrastructure.   This is true and false at the same time.   Having a quick infrastructure means not having to wait hours for a charge. Having an intelligent infrastructure means not having to build power plants.  And having enough infrastructure means convenience.  My non-profit organization, Plug In Carolina, has begun the groundwork for such an infrastructure.   Having reached out to the SC Energy Office, we were able to secure $480,000 of federal funding that will deploy charging stations in seven cities across South Carolina.  These stations will be available to the public and offer a model for the private sector to follow.

Lastly, there are some leaders tackling the incentives needed to make us more attractive.   Both California and Georgia offer $5,000 state income tax credits.  On top of a $7,500 federal credit, an added state credit makes a car that saves thousands of dollars in fuel, very attractive.  Fortunately, Republican Jim Merrill, has drafted HR 4272 and has the support of Anne Hutto a Democrat. The bill extends and expands existing state income tax credits to a $2,000 for South Carolina.  It's not California or Georgia but it makes us competitive relative to the rest of the nation.

These actions appear to be delivering results. Earlier this year, Proterra, an electric bus manufacturer, announced it was locating to Greenville, SC in large part thanks to iCar's presence.  The $30,000,000 vote of confidence comes from private capital and means 1,200 to 2,000 new jobs in the Greenville area.  Hopefully, continued commitment will deliver more Proterra's and more jobs, jobs, jobs.