The transportation sector generates the largest share of direct greenhouse gas emission by economic sector (28%) – up 19% since 1990. Cars, pickups and SUVs are slightly more than 57% of that. As the U.S. moves to reduce its use of fossil fuels and accelerate its use of renewables, electric vehicles are inevitable. Time for us to catch up with Norway where more than 91% of new cars are EVs or hybrids!
The good news: The data are in, and US auto buyers are increasingly keen on electric vehicles.
2025: In the third quarter of 2025, EV sales jumped to a record 438,487 units, an increase of 29.6% year-over-year, but the market share was higher at 10.5%.
2024:In the fourth quarter of 2024, EV sales jumped to a record 365,824 units, an increase of 15.2% year-over-year, but the market share was higher at 10.9%.
2023:Nearly 317,168 vehicles were sold in the U.S. in Q4 (8.1% of new car sales) of 2023. Q4 EV sales increased year over year by 40% in comparison to 2022 with Tesla taking about 55% of the EV market (down from 65% in 2022). A record 1.2 million EVs were sold in 2023, or 7.6% of new car sales, up from 5.9% in 2022. First Q sales were also up (2.6% year over year)with 268,909 EVs sold.
THINGS WERE LOOKING UP UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
- In August 2021, President Biden signed an executive order on Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks, which set a nonbinding target of making 50% of passenger cars and light-duty trucks zero emission vehicles by 2030. That executive order also directed EPA and NHTSA to develop standards for fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles as well as passenger cars for model years 2027–2030.
- In August 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act providing lucrative incentives for car purchasers and rewards for carmakers that increase their production of EVs and move their production lines to the United States. Latest details on this IRS page.
- In August 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035 (35% by 2026, 68% by 2030). California is the largest auto market in the United States.
- Under Section 177 of the Clean Air Act, states must either adhere to federal emissions standards or adopt California's more stringent guidelines. Twelve states have chosen to adopt California’s standards: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington.
- 17 states and the District of Columbia as of June 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, including the Section 177 states listed above and Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Virginia all have adopted or repealed California’s standards for zero-emission vehicles.
- In April, 2024 the Environmental Protection Agency issued strict new limits on tailpipe pollution lowering the amount of carbon dioxide that can be emitted from a vehicle’s tailpipe.
- In June, 2024 The Biden administration tightened vehicle fuel mileage standards so that passenger vehicles would average 65 miles per gallon by 2031, up from 48.7 miles today and light trucks (including pickups and SUVs) would have to reach 45 miles per gallon, up from 35.1.
NOT SO MUCH UNDER THE SECOND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Many previous policies have been rolled back as Trump has vowed to dismantle all electric vehicle mandates and other programs relating to EVs, claiming this won’t “mean a damn bit of difference to the environment”:
- On the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order Unleashing American Energy which includes a directive to eliminate the “electric vehicle mandate and promote true consumer choice,” including by “removing regulatory barriers” and eliminating "unfair subsidies” that “favor EVs over other technologies.” Another subsection of the order directs all agencies to immediately pause funding from both the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, specifically emphasizing funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
- Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill eliminated multiple tax credits of up to $7500 for electric vehicle purchases and leases starting the end of September 2025. According to a Princeton University study, the elimination of incentives could reduce the number of electric vehicles on U.S. roads in 2030 by 3 million.
- The EPA’s proposal to rescind the endangerment finding means carmakers would no longer be required to report or track their greenhouse gas emissions.
- Trump tried to freeze the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program in February, but it has survived a court challenge and is still in place as of November, 2025.
- Via three Congressional Review Act resolutions, Trump eliminated California’s leading vehicle emissions standards, which called for a phase-out of gas-powered cars by 2035. California Attorney General and 10 other state attorneys general sued the Administration to retain these standards, and Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order directing the California Air Resources Board to begin developing new regulations for vehicles.
- The partisan divide over EVs is intensifying and becoming more complex: Elon Musk’s involvement in Trump’s campaign initially boosted sales and Republicans began to embrace electric vehicles. Trump himself appeared to shift his views on EVs temporarily in the peak of Elon Musk’s support, before switching right back to denigrating electric vehicles.
At the same time, electric vehicles are still a fast-growing global market, and carmakers who ignore this will fall behind. Repealing standards on fuel efficiency and pollution could cost drivers more, effectively locking consumers into costlier cars and expensive gasoline and maintenance. Some states and utilities still provide rebates for electric vehicle purchases, and electric vehicle charging is growing too, with 17,000 new fast-charging ports built in 2025.
THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER GOING ELECTRIC…
- EVs are better for the environment, producing significantly fewer emissions, and reducing air pollution as well as mitigating climate change.
- They are as safe, if not safer than gasoline and diesel-powered cars.
- As of June 2024, long-range EVs now cost less to purchase than the average new car in the U.S.
- They are cheaper and easier to maintain, with fewer parts, no engine, no oil, less brake wear and parts that require little or no regular maintenance. According to Consumer Reports, you can expect to save between $6,000 to $12,000 over the life of an EV compared to owning a comparable gas-powered vehicle. Some details: typical maintenance items on EVs include the cabin air filters that keep outside dust and particulate out of a car’s heating and air conditioning system, brake pads, tire rotations, wheel alignment, windshield wipers, shock absorbers, ball joints; and battery coolant (Tesla considers its fluid good for the life of the vehicle). Regenerative braking systems found on EVs and some hybrids use resistance from the electric motors to slow the vehicle, so brake pads don’t see as much use as they would in a gasoline-powered car. Replacing a battery costs between $6,500-$12,000 unless within warranty (typically 8 years and 100,000 miles) in which case no extra cost.
- More EV charging stations are popping up … As of early 2025, EV drivers in the U.S. have access to over 180,000 public charging ports nationwide: more than 65,000 public charging locations, including urban, suburban, and rural sites; and roughly 9,000 DC fast charging locations to support long-distance travel and quick charging needs. Public charging infrastructure has nearly doubled since 2021, and new stations are being added every week.
- The U.S. is on track to install 1.2 million public chargers by 2030. Map here. If you own a Tesla or own a business that wants to install a Tesla supercharger, check this out.
- Charging away from home will get easier and faster. Tesla has 2,892 supercharger stations (with 35,000 Superchargers) in the U.S., as of December, 2025. By the end of 2025, nearly all EVs will have access to some of Tesla’s Supercharger fast EV charging stations. Already, some Ford Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1S and R1T owners have received adapters that allow them to plug into Tesla Superchargers. GM, Mercedes-Benz, Polestar EV, and Volvo owners can now access Superchargers as well, as long as they purchase an adapter. Additionally, there is a group of eight major car manufacturers (BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz Group, Stellantis NV, and Toyota) who are planning to open 30,000 of their own charging stations across the U.S. by 2030 under the Ionna brand name.
- Driving cleaner. It is useful, when thinking about making a transition to electric, to think about the whole process, from manufacturing to disposal. EVs produce roughly half of the climate-changing emissions of a similar gasoline car by the end of their lifetimes -- from the manufacturing of their batteries to their ultimate disposal or reuse. In a recent Forbes article covering this, it was concluded, after viewing numerous studies (including The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) report in July 2021) that battery-electric vehicles have the lowest lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. And, the article contended that, as the electric supply “greens” --with solar and wind power being added to the mix --it will only get better.
Car and Driver ranked the best 2025 EVs (Tesla’s Model 3 ranks #1) after testing several hundred vehicles -from major car manufacturers including Tesla, BMW, Nissan, Ford, Volkswagen, Subaru, Hyundai, Fiat, and General Motors. Could be useful as you do your research.
Because there are occasionally wait times for the purchase of an electric car, you might want to check out Drive Green (particularly if you live in Massachusetts or Rhode Island). Valuable.
