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How EV Friendly Is Your State?

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Written by

Hunter Johnson

Automotive Contributor

Updated on May 12th, 2022

To say that electric vehicles are having their day in the sun would be an understatement. EVs, once considered to be impractical or even a fashion statement, have decided that they are here to stay. President Biden has also decided that EVs are here to stay, with an ambitious goal that states 50% of all new cars sold should be electric by 2030—just 8 years away. But what about EVs now? Depending on where you live, you might see them everywhere or barely at all. We're breaking down the most (and least) friendly states to own an EV today.

CURRENT PERCENTAGE OF EV'S IN THE U.S.

<1% of the 250 million passenger cars and trucks in the U.S. are electric

TOTAL NUMBER OF CHARGING STATIONS IN THE U.S.

46,448 public charging stations

PROJECTED EV GOAL

22 million EVs in the U.S. by 2030 compared to 1MM in 2020

Although electric vehicles only make up about 1% of what's on the road, sales shot up 85% from 2020 to 2021. During that same period, sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) rose 138%. People are, if nothing else, eager to ditch their weekly fill-ups at the pump, and partially electric vehicles represent a baby step towards full electrification for many Americans. When you zoom out further, nearly every automaker now has at least a PHEV in its line-up, and all have plans to go all-in on electric soon.

Over the past decade, EVs have redefined transportation as we know it. In 2011, there were less than 1,000 charging stations nationwide, Nissan had sold just 9,674 units of their Leaf EV in the U.S., and the epoch-making Tesla Model S hadn't even been announced yet. Regardless of how you feel about EVs, it's clear that the industry is not looking back. After years of toying with alternatives such as hydrogen, the kilowatt has come out on top for both automakers and policy makers as they've pledged to do away with fossil fuels entirely.

The Electrified States of America

Number of EV Registrations

Number of EV Charging Stations

Tax/Financial Incentives

Composite Score

Select a map layer and see how your state stacks up against others when it comes to EV friendliness.

Key Takeaways

For our overview, we looked at three key data points that will likely affect how you interact with EVs and guide your purchase decision: prevalence, price, and power outlets.

States considered "friendly" have a high composite score, comprised of three main categories, weighted equally:

Number of total EV registrations per state

Number of electric only vehicles registered to the respective state as of December 31st, 2020. Plug-in style hybrid vehicles are not considered.

Number of EV charging stations per state

Publicly accessible station locations, or outposts, in each state. This does not count each available plug (or charger) available at a station, nor does it take private residences into account.

Total number of tax and other financial incentives offered per state

Defined as the number of tax programs and financial incentives offered by states and local governments, not the total dollar value associated with these programs.

Most & Least EV-Friendly states overall

The ties between EV-friendliness and population density are hard to ignore. The less dense states fared far worse than those dense with people overlaid with large urban environments.

California

29%

Texas

Florida

North Dakota

South Dakota

Wyoming

States with Highest/Lowest number of registrations

Certain states have a heavy concentration of EVs, while others feel practically barren by comparison. California, for example, leads the way with its sheer number of electric vehicles, and although Florida takes the second-place spot in total number of EVs, it's still outpaced by a large margin.

California

42%

Florida

Texas

South Dakota

Wyoming

North Dakota

States with the Most/Least amount of chargers

We found that more EVs in a given state don't necessarily equate to more public charging stations.

California

29%

New York

Florida

Wyoming

South Dakota

Alaska

States with the Most/Least amount of tax/financial incentives

These types of numbers are a good barometer for how popular EVs may be in your area, but state tax incentives tell us a slightly different story:

With its $5,000 state incentive, Colorado is currently offering the largest credit of any state in the union, even though it's not the top dog when it comes to charging stations or registrations.

If your state falls far from the top of the list, this doesn't spell bad news. Now might be an opportune time to get into an EV, depending on the credits offered by your state, county, and even city. You might be surprised by how many additional incentives are offered on a local level. Several areas offer perks like discounted charging at home, or further tax credits based on your district and income level.

We also found that, depending on the make of vehicle, incentives can be doled out differently between buying and leasing. In some cases, tax credits for a leased EV may be passed along to the bank or financial institution writing the lease instead of the driver. It's also important to note that incentives are only extended to buyers and lessees of new EVs, so buying a used vehicle won't earn you these discounts.

California

16%

Wisconsin

Oregon

North Dakota

South Dakota

Wyoming

Friendly

Neutral

Unfriendly

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Total Charging
Stations

Total Charging
Stations (%)

Government
Incentives

Government
Incentives (%)

Total
Registrations

Total
Registrations (%)

Composite
Score

California

13,646

29%

16%

425,300

42%

29%

Texas

2,196

52,190

Florida

2,437

58,160

Washington

1,577

50,520

New York

2,788

32,590

Colorado

1,522

24,670

Wisconsin

383

6,310

Oregon

915

22,850

Maryland

1,139

17,970

Arizona

880

28,770

North Carolina

1,011

16,190

New Jersey

660

30,420

Massachusetts

2,129

21,010

Pennsylvania

1,115

17,530

Georgia

1,474

23,530

Utah

845

11,230

Minnesota

513

10,380

Michigan

798

10,620

Vermont

322

2,230

Virginia

1,063

20,510

Connecticut

464

9,040

Illinois

962

26,000

Ohio

981

14,530

Nevada

472

11,040

Delaware

128

1,950

Nebraska

182

1,810

Tennessee

605

7,810

Missouri

985

6,740

Oklahoma

287

3,410

Iowa

263

2,260

New Mexico

178

2,620

New Hampshire

153

2,690

Indiana

312

6,990

Louisiana

141

1,950

South Carolina

356

4,390

Hawaii

357

10,670

Alaska

940

Maine

303

1,920

Kansas

454

3,130

West Virginia

600

Kentucky

221

2,650

Alabama

198

2890

Rhode Island

253

1,580

Arkansas

162

1,330

Idaho

104

2,300

Mississippi

780

Montana

940

North Dakota

220

South Dakota

410

Wyoming

330

Batteries, recycling, and new electric motor designs will all dictate the future of EVs—or rather, how quickly you'll be convinced to switch. The way it stands, EVs currently use lithium-ion batteries and improved designs will eliminate elements that are both temperature-sensitive and non-modular. Creating new modular batteries that have individually replaceable pieces, as opposed to one fused unit, will extend service life and eliminate waste.

What's Next

Electric vehicles used to be reserved as toys for the well-heeled, but prices have started to fall in line with conventional vehicles. Now, battery technology and charging infrastructure are the two remaining variables that present major challenges to the rise of electric vehicles. How much, or how little, state and local governments incentivize the buildouts of new fast-charging stations and the purchase of vehicles themselves will continue to play an important role.

What else is next for EVs? Trucks. The passenger car EV space continues to expand with SUV offerings, but pick-ups and much larger commercial applications are still in their infancy. Freightliner, Tesla, and start-ups such as Nikola have all thrown their hats into the ring. Moving our country's two million semi-trucks away from diesel and into the arms of electricity will further accelerate the movement and impact how you interact with EVs.

Ordering America's fleet of 250+ million vehicles to run on electricity simply won't happen overnight. Modern cars are exceptionally well-built and live to be 12 years old on average. Getting these vehicles off the road will take time, but there's no doubt we're headed in the right direction with EVs. Over the past 10 years, the U.S. has put over one million new EVs on its roads, and sales continue to increase as manufacturers churn out more offerings. Although the White House is calling for 50% of vehicle sales to be electric by 2030, IHS Market predicts that number will hover around 32% by 2030 and could reach 45% 5 years later in 2035.

EVs will prevail as more states continue to adopt EV-friendly policies and infrastructure. If you're in the market for an EV, a long list of excellent vehicles is already on the market and ready for purchase. The electric vehicles today are similar to the smartphones of 15 years ago—advanced for the time but haven't yet reached their full potential. Right now, the roughly 46,000 level 2 chargers aren't enough to support the number of EVs we hope to see on the roads soon. As the smartphone has taught us, battery life has only improved, and charging areas have only become more prevalent. As with any new technology, EVs will become more efficient and more advanced as time goes on. Smartphones changed the way we interacted with the traditional telephone and EVs will change the way we interact with the traditional car as well. While it will fall on states to provide support for their drivers' unique needs, the push for EVs will continue to be a joint effort between the public and private sectors.

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