To accelerate the use of electric vehicles and the charging infrastructure needed to support them, the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration has established a national network of alternative fueling and electric vehicle charging corridors on 48 Interstate Highways covering nearly 25,000 miles in 35 states, including I-85 and I-75 in Georgia.

The Alternative Fuel Corridor designation involves two categories. Signage-ready corridors currently have sufficient alternative fuel facilities to warrant signage; while signage-pending corridors do not meet the conditions for signage and require deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to become signage-ready.

Interstate 85, nominated as an Alternative Fuel Corridor by Georgia Department of Transportation, runs 179 miles through Georgia and is a major strategic interstate for the state and for the region. I-85 is designated signage-ready for electric vehicles from Commerce, Ga. to the Alabama border and for compressed natural gas from the South Carolina border to College Park (Metro Atlanta). The corridor is signage-pending for EV from Commerce to the South Carolina border and for CNG from College Park to the Alabama border.

Additional natural gas and electric charging stations will be deployed along the route in conjunction with Georgia Power, Southern Company Gas, and the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority’s Charge Georgia initiative. The short-term goal—by 2020—is to have public electric vehicle fast charging available every 50 miles along the entire I-85 route. Another priority is to install additional natural gas fueling stations on I-85 north of Metro Atlanta.

“Transportation and vehicle technology is rapidly changing and meeting those changes requires new approaches,” said Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell R. McMurry, P.E. “Georgia DOT recognizes the importance of existing charging infrastructure and we encourage additional private investment to promote greater mobility options for alternative fuel vehicles. We support innovative long-term solutions that improve environmental sustainability.”

I-75, which runs 355 miles through Georgia from Tennessee to Florida, was nominated by the Atlanta Regional Commission as an Alternative Fuel Corridor. It is designated signage-ready for electric vehicles from the Tennessee border to Warner Robbins and from Tifton to Valdosta; and for CNG along the entire corridor. It is designated signage-pending for EV from Warner Robbins to Tifton and Valdosta to the Florida border.