By Chris McCahill
The New York Times reports that global sales of electric and hybrid vehicles have surged over the past few years, rising from 4 percent of sales in 2020 to 29 percent today. That’s good news for anyone seeking energy independence in these turbulent times, and for the environment over the long run. In the U.S., though—one of the most car-dependent countries in the world—sales have slipped slightly, even as gas prices remain high. Our sales of electric and hybrid vehicles are just under 6 percent.
This is troubling for several reasons. It leaves many Americans without a more affordable way to get around at a time of growing uncertainty over gas prices. The shift away from cleaner vehicles, driven partly by the end of the $7,500 federal tax credit, only adds to the sharp rise in transportation costs we’ve written about before.
It also sets many states and local agencies further behind on their ambitious emissions-reduction goals. Even in states like California, Colorado, Minnesota, and Oregon, where multimodal transportation and travel-demand reduction are central to the strategy, cleaner vehicles still play a critical role.
All of this is a reminder that states and local governments shouldn’t rely on any single solution to meet their climate and clean energy goals. With or without electric vehicles, agencies need to expand clean transportation options and shorten trips overall, including through land-use and development policies. One new study even finds that people tend to drive more once they switch to electric vehicles—not enough to erase the benefits, but enough to make demand-management strategies worthwhile.