The Biden administration wants the share of electric cars represents 50% by 2030. Eight years from the goal, the United States is still very far from the mark. Today, the share of sales of electric vehicles represents only 3%. A lower adoption rate than in Europe.
50% electric cars in 2030?
The United States has set an ambitious goal to try to revolutionize the mobility of Americans. To achieve this, associations and defenders of the environment succeeded in having a law passed to accompany this change. The senators settled on an ambitious objective: 50% of vehicles sold in 2030 must be zero-emission vehicles (a mixture of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles). They have obtained a $7.5 billion envelope to increase the number of charging stations, but this may not be enough.
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US consumer interest in electric vehicles is high. CarMax, an online sales platform similar to La Centrale, has conducted a study on the subject and confirms that since 2021, “there is a steady growth in research into electric vehicles, as well as an increase in test drives”. These two indicators increased significantly between February and March 2022. The company notes that during this same period, the price of gasoline has increased by 66 cents per gallon on average.
Europe is ahead of the United States
If on paper the future looks bright, the reality is different. Americans are indeed buying more electric vehicles than ever. However, they still represent only 3% of the market. A worrying figure regarding the ambitious objectives of the country. In comparison, Europe is a good student. In Germany, around 14% of new cars sold in 2021 were electric vehicles and 12.5% from plug-in hybrids. Same thing in the United Kingdom with 11.6% of electric vehicles sold in 2021. In France, 13.5% of cars sold in March 2022 were electric vehicles.
In the United States, another study shows the geography of EV adoption. It’s totally unbalanced. Wholesale market prices are at Washington, California, Utah, Arizona and Oregon. It is in the center of the country that sales are weakest. A study conducted by JD Power shows that American buyers are more likely to buy electric cars in the West (31%). An adoption rate of 50% in 2030 seems utopian, in particular because supply difficulties to manufacture lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.