AMPED UP: Latest SCBIZ Magazine all about South Carolina electric vehicle industry.

A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of spending $5,000 to replace the transmission in my 2014 Ford Escape. Less than 85,000 miles and it went kaput. And the mechanic couldn't offer an explanation as to why, other than a shrug.

It marked the first time that I started to ask myself: what about an electric vehicle? (OK, it took some prodding from a co-worker, a Prius disciple, no less, to get me thinking about a non-gas powered automobile). But the seed had been planted.

Turns out I'm not alone. From 2020 to 2021, electric vehicle ownership in South Carolina increased by 70%. Admittedly, I am seeing a lot more Teslas on the roads here in the Upstate.

South Carolina has found a niche with the electric vehicle industry. So much so that leaders are referring to the Palmetto State as the 'Battery Belt.' The state is certainly making a name for itself in electric vehicle and ECV battery manufacturing. Since 2017, nearly $11billion has been invested in the sector.

The spurt in EV action is why we made it the focus on this issue's automotive theme. It's undoubtedly the future, which why state leaders, including Gov. Henry McMaster, who recently announced the...