Media Contact
Adam Allington
Floridians along the Gulf coast are evacuating ahead of Hurricane Milton. The Florida Department of Transportation is deploying emergency fuel and electric vehicle charging stations along evacuation routes.
As more Americans transition to electric vehicles, natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires are raising questions about the risks of evacuating in EVs rather than gas-powered ones.
Arthur Wheaton
Director of Labor Studies, ILR School
Art Wheaton serves as director of labor studies at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and says EV’s are a “double-edged sword” in a disaster.
Wheaton says:
“First off, if there is no power you won’t be able to charge. On the other hand, many larger EV’s allow you to use the car to power your lights or refrigerator in your house. They can also charge things like cell phones and laptops which are critical in an emergency.
“There are a growing number of charges available as many companies have contracts and attachments allowing them to use Tesla super chargers. However, none are any good if there is no electricity.
“As the demand for charging increases, hopefully federal investments in charging stations along major travel corridors will keep up.”
