Raleigh, N.C. – (February 12, 2020) The N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) released its 2019 annual review and Q4 2019 update edition of The 50 States of Electric Vehicles. The quarterly series provides insights on state regulatory and legislative discussions and actions on electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.

The report finds that 49 states and DC took actions related to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure during 2019 (see figure below), with the greatest number of actions relating to rebate programs, followed by electric vehicle fees, charging station deployment, rate design and electric vehicle studies.

2019 State and Utility Action on Electric Vehicles

The report highlights ten of the top electric vehicle trends of 2019:

• States requiring utilities to develop transportation electrification plans;
• State legislators adopting additional registration fees for electric vehicles;
• State regulators considering utility ownership of charging infrastructure;
• States exempting charging stations from utility regulation;
• Lawmakers adopting zero-emission vehicle procurement targets for state fleets;
• Utilities developing rate designs to promote DC fast charging;
• Utilities proposing individual programs to address different market segments;
• Growing interest in subscription pricing pilots for electric vehicle charging;
• Utilities working to accelerate transit and school bus electrification; and
• States and utilities adopting new incentives for electric vehicles and charging equipment.

“State policymakers continue to show interest in expanding markets for electric vehicles, with hundreds of bills considered during 2019 and regulators approving millions of dollars in investment in charging infrastructure,” noted Brian Lips, Senior Policy Project Manager at NCCETC.

A total of 601 electric vehicle actions were taken during 2019, representing a 42 percent increase over 2018 (424 actions) and a 165 percent increase over 2017 (227 actions). The report notes the top ten states taking the greatest number or most impactful actions in 2019 were California, Minnesota, Maryland, Oregon, Vermont, Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and DC.

Electric Vehicle Activity by Category, 2017 – 2019

“Utilities across the country are developing transportation electrification strategies, often at the direction of state regulators,” observed Autumn Proudlove, Senior Manager of Policy Research at NCCETC. “Many new programs were approved during 2019, addressing a variety of market segments through education, incentives, rate design and infrastructure deployment.”

In Q4 2019, 42 states and DC took some type of action on electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. A total of 294 actions were tracked in Q4.

View the 50 States of Electric Vehicles Annual Report and Q4 2019 Update Executive Summary

View and Purchase the 50 States of Electric Vehicles Annual Report and Q4 2019 update FULL Report

View other 50 States Reports – Solar, Grid Modernization and Electric Vehicles

ABOUT THE N.C. CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CENTER

The N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center, as part of the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University, advances a sustainable energy economy by educating, demonstrating and providing support for clean energy technologies, practices and policies. It serves as a resource for innovative, sustainable energy technologies through technology demonstration, technical assistance, outreach and training. For more information about the  Center, visit: http://www.nccleantech.ncsu.edu. Twitter: @NCCleanTech

MEDIA CONTACT:  Shannon Helm, NCCETC, shannon_helm@ncsu.edu