AAA electric vehicle road trip guide takes glide throughout Georgia

February 2nd, 2024

Representatives of AAA and EVHybridNoire, an EV consumer group, pose outside of The National Center of Civil and Human Rights during the "Electric Vehicle Road Trip: Celebrating Black History Month" launch event on Jan. 31, 2024. (Julien Virgin/WABE)

In the wake of Black History Month, a new road guide sponsored by the American Automobile Association (AAA) and designated for electrical vehicles (EV) places Georgia on the minds of incoming travelers.

The guidebook, “Electric Vehicle Road Trip: Celebrating Black History Month,” highlights how each city contributed to the Civil Rights Movement and helps drivers find EV charging stations along the way.

Outside of Georgia’s capital, six other cities from the state are featured: Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Brunswick, Macon, and Savannah.

Fifty historical sites are featured in the guidebook, spread across South Carolina and Georgia. Locations highlighted include The King Center, The Carter Center, the APEX Museum and the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Another location featured in the books, the National Center of Civil and Human Rights, is where AAA launched the guidebook on Wednesday.

While joyful about the release of the book, the motor club says Black and Brown communities are still experiencing inequality, specifically in regards to the environment.

The company states that these communities represent only 2% of EV buyers, even though transportation emissions disproportionately impact communities of color.

“African Americans are nine times more likely to die from asthma attacks or respiratory illness,” said Shelly Francis, co-founder and director of EVHybridNoire, an EV Consumer Group.

“Hispanic kids are about four to five times more likely compared to their white counterparts.”

Francis believes that charging deserts and a lack of knowledge of electric vehicles are stopping more people of color from investing in EVs.

“In order for people to adopt Francis transport, new technology and transportation, they need to see more charging infrastructure in the places and spaces where they frequent,” she said.

The federal government has funded more charging stations through the Inflation Reduction Act and offered point-of-sale rebates for EVs.