The 50 States of Electric Vehicles: Utilities Encourage Electric Bus Deployment and Vehicle-Grid Integration During Q1 2025
Raleigh, NC – (May 1, 2025) The N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) released its Q1 2025 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 35 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, took actions related to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure during Q1 2025 (see figure below), with the greatest number of actions relating to rate design for commercial, public, and residential charging; rebate and grant programs; managed charging programs; charging infrastructure planning activities; and registration or charging fees for electric vehicles. Note that beginning this quarter, action counts include only regulatory activities and legislation that has passed at least one chamber, with all introduced bills available in an appendix to the report.
A total of 170 electric vehicle actions were taken during Q1 2025, in addition to 430 introduced bills that have not yet passed a legislative chamber. The most active states this quarter were New Jersey, Maryland, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Virginia, Hawaii, and Illinois. As of mid-April 2025, eight states had enacted legislation related to transportation electrification.
Q1 2025 State and Utility Action on Electric Vehicles
The report discusses three trends in electric vehicle actions taken in Q1 2025: (1) utility regulators approving incentive programs for electric school buses, (2) policymakers pursuing restrictions and retractions on electric vehicle policies, and (3) states and utilities considering pilots for vehicle-grid integration.
“Policymakers and utilities took substantial action on vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-everything programs during this quarter,” noted David Sarkisian, Principal Policy Analyst at NCCETC. “Vehicle-grid integration programs aim to make use of the ability of EVs to serve as resources rather than just a load source, allowing them to provide grid services.”
The report notes five of the top policy developments of the quarter:
- Utilities in New Jersey filing Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Plans;
- Illinois regulators approving utilities’ Beneficial Electrification Plans;
- The federal government suspending the National Electric Vehicle Incentive Program for review;
- The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center launching a statewide Vehicle-to-Everything pilot; and
- Virginia lawmakers passing a bill regulating utility ownership of charging infrastructure and transportation electrification plans.
“While federal funding for electric vehicles and EVSE dwindles, states and utilities are picking up the slack, particularly for electric school buses,” observed Brian Lips, Program Manager at NCCETC. “Regulators in several states approved programs designed to incentivize the purchase and utilization of electric school buses.”
View the 50 States of Electric Vehicles Q1 2025 Quarterly Report Executive Summary
View and Purchase the 50 States of Electric Vehicles Q1 2025 Quarterly Report
ABOUT THE NC CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CENTER
The NC 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.
Media Contact: Shannon Helm, NCCETC, shannon_helm@ncsu.edu