The conversion of light-duty vehicles (LDVs) from internal combustion engines powered by fossil fuels to electric vehicles (EVs) is a cornerstone of most plans to decarbonize transportation.1 Local and national governments have deployed various regulations and incentives to speed this conversion. Every state in the United States has electric vehicle laws and incentives. California (137) had the most state policies in 2022 that encouraged EVs; Idaho (5) had the fewest.2
There are a variety of indicators to measure where and how fast EV uptake is occurring: the total number of EV registrations, EV registrations as a percentage of all vehicle registrations, and EV registrations per capita. Not surprisingly, states with the largest populations and thus the largest number of drivers have the most EV registrations: California, Texas, Florida, New York, etc. California has nearly double the number of registered drivers than either Florida or Texas.
States with the highest EV share of total LDV registrations are concentrated in the northeast, mid-Atlantic, southwest, West Coast, and mountain states. In 2022 EV market shares were highest in the District of Columbia (9%) and California (8%) due in part to very favorable policies. Both jurisdictions recently adopted the so-called Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) II Rule which requires auto manufacturers to ensure that every new passenger car, truck, and SUV sold is a zero-emission vehicle by 2035.3 The national EV share was 3.6% of total registrations in 2022.
A similar group of states leads when EV uptake is scaled by population. California leads with 712 EVs registered per 10,000 people, more than twice the national average of 292 EVs per 10,000 people.
EV sales will continue to rise due to strong policy support, lower prices for some models, better range, and more charging infrastructure. The turnover of the country’s LDV fleet to EVs will not be a smooth ride because companies and consumers must continually search for a sweet spot among technology advances, cost of production, consumer demand, more charging infrastructure, and intense global competition
1 LDVs refer to passenger cars, light trucks and minivans, full-size pickups, sport utility vehicles, and full-size vans, including some delivery vans. Specific definitions vary by jurisdiction, but a common metric for an LDV is a vehicle that weighs less than 10,000 pounds, including the weight of the vehicle, fuel, passengers, and cargo. Unless specified otherwise, the term “electric vehicles” includes Battery Electric (BEV), Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), and Hybrid Electric (HEV)Link
2 U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, “Maps and Data – Electric Vehicle Laws and Incentives by State,” accessed July 2, 2024, https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/matrix?sort_by=tech
3 California Air Resources Board, “Advanced Clean Cars Program,” accessed July 2, 2024, https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/advanced-clean-cars-program/
