Plug In America unveiled a new study on efforts underway to accelerate the growth of the plug-in electric vehicle market in the U.S.
Over 300,000 plug-in electric vehicles are now on America’s roads. Nearly 120,000 of those were delivered to new owners in 2014. Efforts to boost sales have become in increasingly important given the vehicles’ clean air benefits and potential for eliminating the use of petroleum and other fossil fuels in personal transportation.
Focusing on the years since the latest round of plug-in electric vehicles were reintroduced in the U.S. in 2011, the new study by Plug In America reveals a national market that, despite deep fragmentation, shows a number of encouraging signs for future growth. During 2014, researchers assessed overall promotional efforts for the cars by interviewing key stakeholders across industry, government and allied organizations. Perhaps most dramatically, the composite view of the market that emerges points the way toward the discontinued use of petroleum for personal-vehicle propulsion in the U.S. over the next 25 years.
“The U.S. stands at the crossroads of one of the largest technology shifts in personal transportation in its history,” says principal researcher Kirk Brown, Plug In America’s director of strategic partnerships. “The question ahead is how do we capture this early market growth and deliver the benefits of these vehicles to all consumers, everywhere.”
The Plug In America analysis includes a comprehensive range of actions to further expand the market. Despite the compelling impact that plug-in electric vehicles can have on reducing or eliminating transportation pollution, the report reveals that inconsistent governmental policies form a patchwork quilt across the country. Automakers have created over two dozen plug-in electric vehicle models, yet only a few are actually available for purchase by consumers in all 50 states.
“Consumers simply cannot fathom why the electric vehicle they’re most interested in is not available at a dealership in their home state,” says the report’s senior editor Dan Davids, Plug In America’s board chair. “Our report shows that only six manufacturers collectively deliver well over 90 percent of these vehicles.”
To access Plug In America’s report in pdf, click here.
