MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — Jensen Wang stopped in Montgomery to charge his Tesla on the way to Florida.

“It’s just great not having to go to a gas station ever again,” Wang said.

With a 47-mile work commute each way and gas prices right now, Wang chose an electric vehicle.

“I kind of estimated, if I was to spend [money on] gas right now, I’d probably be spending close to $200 a week and now I’m adding probably $30 a month on electric, so it’s huge savings on that,” Wang said.

It’s estimated that by 2030, 20% of all vehicles sold in the U.S. will be electric. Meeting that demand in Alabama will have its challenges. “There are currently a whole lot of gaps in Alabama’s charging infrastructure footprint,” Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition President Michael Staley said.

Staley says the state has about 5,000 electric vehicles registered, and continues to rise due to gas prices.

“As people are seeing $5 a gallon gas prices, they’re starting to realize that $1.08 E-Gallon is better for their bottom line,” Staley said.

Staley says the real challenge comes from having enough charging stations. His coalition is putting together an updating plan using federal funding to improve Alabama’s EV infrastructure, with a focus on interstate corridors and other local roads.

“The availability of charging infrastructure for people traveling away from home is one of the greatest barriers to EV adoption,” Staley said.

Wang says so far he hasn’t had issues with finding a charge.

“The car actually finds chargers for you, so the charging isn’t a problem,” Wang said.

Staley says the plan for updating the state’s electric vehicle infrastructure will be coming out in the next few months.