Electric Transportation | Southern Company

Research and Development

Southern Company is actively involved in research and development in both on-road and non-road electric transportation.

We work with national organizations such as the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), vehicle manufacturers, other utilities, and charging companies to produce the next generation of electric vehicles. We are testing Smart Charging strategies to maximize the number of vehicles that can be charged with our current energy capacities. We are also working with university labs to test new technologies that may maximize range from battery packs and wireless charging equipment that can charge vehicles with no cord and, one day, potentially charge your EV while you drive.

On the non-road side, we work closely with customers to implement electric transportation solutions within their companies and to evaluate the cost savings related to those technologies. We are currently testing a prototype battery unit on trucks within our fleet. This unit is designed to power trucks at customer sites with electricity stored in a battery instead of running truck engines. This will reduce fleet emissions, reduce noise at work sites, and save money on vehicle maintenance.