FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2021
Contact: Noah Barnes, Plug In America
nbarnes@pluginamerica.org
(323) 333-8010
Top 25 states supporting electric vehicle adoption ranked in new Plug In America report
LOS ANGELES—Today, Plug In America released a new report, Top 25 States Supporting the EV Driver. We are expecting 2021 to be a breakthrough year for electric vehicles (EVs), with bold EV policy and programs at the federal level with a new Congress and new Administration, and with many new makes and models of EVs arriving in dealer lots this year. In addition, 2021 will be a year for bold state leadership and policy measures to ensure rapid adoption of EVs in all 50 states. Sales figures show that positive state-level EV policies, such as the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) program, which gives consumers access to more makes and models of EVs, have a direct impact on EV sales.
“As the EV market is growing from the ‘early adopter’ phase to the ‘mass market’ phase, this is a crucial time to get EV policy right to support the growing number of EV drivers,” said Plug In America Executive Director Joel Levin. “Policies like the ZEV program have a major positive effect on EV sales in a given state, while the punitive EV fees that some states have enacted can have a negative impact. This report gives a snapshot of where states are today in supporting EV drivers.”
This report lists the top 25 states that are leading the way with supportive policy measures currently implemented and enacted for the EV drivers in four categories:
- policies that affect EV drivers before they purchase a vehicle,
- policies that affect EV drivers during ownership of the vehicle,
- policies that enable EV infrastructure build-out, and
- EV education and outreach activities.
The top 10 states supporting the EV driver, as outlined in the report, are:
- California
- Massachusetts
- Oregon
- New Jersey
- Colorado
- New York
- Vermont
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Washington
An EV incentive is among the most effective means of increasing EV adoption and each of the states in the top 10 featured a purchase incentive. In addition, the top 10 states have all adopted the ZEV program, as allowed under Section 177 of the Clean Air Act, as this policy grants greater access to EVs for consumers.
We expect Nevada, Minnesota, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Maryland to be competitive with the top 10 states next year, as they are in the process of adopting new policies that support EV drivers this year. We also expect Texas, Tennessee, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio to move up into the top 25 next year as they are looking at adopting supportive EV policies this year as well. We look forward to re-ranking states in 2022 to showcase the states that take bold leadership in 2021.
The full report can be viewed at https://pluginamerica.org/top-25-states-supporting-the-ev-driver/.
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About Plug In America
Plug In America is the nation’s leading independent consumer voice for accelerating the use of plug-in electric vehicles in the United States. Formed as a non-profit in 2008, Plug In America provides practical, objective information collected from our coalition of plug-in vehicle drivers, through public outreach and education, policy work and a range of technical advisory services. Our expertise represents the world’s deepest pool of experience of driving and living with plug-in vehicles. We drive electric. You can too. PlugInAmerica.org
