Abstract:

The electric vehicle market in the United States has grown from a few thousand vehicles in 2010 to more than 315,000 vehicles sold annually from 2018 to 2020. In 2020, the electric share of new vehicle sales was approximately 2.4%, an increase from about 2% in 2019. This study, an update of our previous analysis of state, local, and utility company actions to promote electric vehicles, shows the states and cities with the greatest electric vehicle market success continue to have the strongest and most comprehensive policy supports.

The analysis finds that regulations that require greater electric vehicle model availability are essential to market growth. States with zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) regulations had a combined new electric vehicle share of 5% and typically at least 13 more electric models available than states without such regulations, which had a 1.3% average electric vehicle share. States with ZEV regulations were responsible for about two-thirds of 2020 U.S. electric vehicle sales and less than one-third of overall light-duty vehicle sales.