(NewsNation) — A record 1.2 million electric vehicles were sold in the U.S. last year but enthusiasm for EVs hasn’t spread evenly across the country.
That’s the takeaway from a new analysis of S&P Global Mobility data by the New York Times. The report shows EVs are becoming increasingly popular on the West Coast, especially in California, but haven’t gained as much ground in other regions.
Last year, electric vehicles accounted for more than 30% of new auto registrations in the San Francisco Bay Area and close to 25% in Los Angeles, the NYT found. In San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento and Seattle EVs made up over 20% of auto registrations.
By comparison, just 3% of vehicle registrations were electric in the nation’s auto capital, Detroit, according to the analysis. Cities like Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo saw roughly that same share — an indication that cold weather efficiency concerns may be causing consumers to hold back.
Nationwide, electric vehicles grew to 8.5% of new auto registrations in 2023, the Times reported. Hybrids accounted for an additional 10%.
As the list of popular EV cities suggests, those who have made the shift tend to be richer, younger and more likely to lean left politically than the average American.
Among Republicans and those who lean to the right, 70% said they were not likely to consider purchasing an EV as their next car, a 2023 Pew Research survey found. Whereas, just 30% of Democratic respondents said the same.
Part of the political divide is explained by a geographic divide. Americans in rural areas are significantly less likely than those in urban centers to say they’re considering an EV. Rural drivers typically drive longer distances, which means a lack of charging stations and “range anxiety,” has made switching to plug-in less attractive.
Gallup research shows Republicans are also less likely than Democrats to think using EVs helps address climate change — one of the main arguments EV proponents have used in favor of them.
For many, high prices remain a major concern.
In December, the average price paid for a new EV was $50,789, according to Cox Automotive. That’s an improvement from earlier in 2023 but still $2,000 more than the average transaction price across all new vehicles.
Federal tax credits of up to $7,500 have helped ease EV costs, but most don’t qualify for the full amount.
Affordability is expected to improve as more EVs hit the road, particularly in the used market which hasn’t had as much time to build up inventory.
The EV market grew last year but at a slower pace than years prior. The drop in demand has caused U.S. automakers like General Motors and Ford to scale back their EV production.
J.D. Power recently revised its EV sales forecast down by 0.8 percentage points to 12.4% market share for calendar year 2024. That would still mean a significant uptick from the current 7.6% overall market share.
