Abstract:

This briefing assesses the U.S. electric vehicle market in 2019 and the policy actions by cities, states, and electric power utilities that were driving it. Although the electric share of new vehicle sales in the United States overall remained at 2%, the share increased in many local markets and there is growing support from various local, state, and utility promotion actions. Major uncertainties remain about how the industry and the market will evolve in 2020 and beyond, but this briefing points to many actions that will remain important to sustaining electric vehicle growth through the economic recovery. These activities, including regulations, consumer financial and nonfinancial incentives, charging infrastructure development, and consumer awareness programs, reduce electric vehicle adoption barriers. Areas with the greatest electric vehicle adoption had the strongest and most comprehensive underlying policy support. This analysis leads to the following four conclusions: (1) Electric vehicle policy support packages are continuously being adopted and improved by states, cities, and utilities. (2) Electric vehicle market growth critically depends on the greater availability of electric vehicle options. (3) Consumer incentives remain important while upfront purchase cost remains a barrier. (4) Charging infrastructure grows in unison with electric vehicle adoption.