As cars shift to electric, McMaster wants SC to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for manufacturing
Gov. Henry McMaster is making moves to attract electric vehicle manufacturers to South Carolina and ensure those vehicles can operate on the state’s roadways.
In an executive order issued Thursday, McMaster said the state Department of Commerce is setting up a “one-stop shop” to serve as the primary point of contact for electric vehicle manufacturers in the state.
The governor also ordered seven state agencies to develop a plan to strategically place electric vehicle charging stations across South Carolina. And he ordered the state’s Department of Employment and Workforce to draft ways to recruit more people to join the industry.
The state’s electric vehicle coordinator, who is still to be determined, will serve as a primary contact for businesses and other stakeholders on electric vehicle-related issues, such as economic investment, workforce development, emerging technologies and infrastructure. The office also will help coordinate communication between interested parties and state agencies.
McMaster announced the order Thursday in Greenville, part of the Upstate region which is home to many auto manufacturers and suppliers, including electric bus maker Proterra and BMW facility in Spartanburg.
“The only way South Carolina has been able to maintain its status as an automotive industry leader for nearly three decades is by strategically adapting as the industry innovates,” McMaster said in a statement.
South Carolina has more than 500 automotive companies and 72,000 autoworkers, creating a $27 billion economic impact in the state, the governor’s office said.
Automakers, across the country and in South Carolina, are shifting toward manufacturing electric vehicles.
The bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by President Joe Biden created federal grant programs to expand the country’s electric vehicle charging station network. The Inflation Reduction Act also includes incentives for people to buy electric vehicles and tax credits for manufacturers to retool existing facilities and build new manufacturing in the country.
“If they’re going to start manufacturing them (electric cars) here, we want to bring suppliers in, which we’ve already done to some extent,” Brian Symmes, the governor’s spokesman, told The State newspaper Thursday. “We want to make sure that this could be a one-stop shop for all things electric vehicles since it’s clear that’s where things are headed.”
The electric vehicle industry has recorded growth in the state.
In December, Proterra announced a $76 million investment in an electric vehicle battery production plant in Greer. And BMW Manufacturing has already promised to build electric vehicles at its South Carolina plant in Greer, according to Fortune Magazine.
Volvo, which has a facility in Berkeley County, plans to produce an all-electric SUV in South Carolina as the company transitions to an all electric vehicle line by 2030, according to previous reports.
A day before McMaster issued his order, Dash EV, which produces electric and solar-charged vehicles for car sharing in cities and on university campuses, announced new operations in Greenville.
“We’re trying to take a holistic approach here,” Symmes said of the governor’s new initiative. “We think more and more electric vehicles are going to be manufactured in the United States and we want to make sure they’re manufactured here.”
