The Electrifying Rise of EVs: A Current Snapshot and California’s Leading Charge

Co-Author(s): Leyla Senvar and Meghan Hall, Teamwrkx Marketing

The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is picking up speed in the United States, cruising forward with impressive momentum. According to the Experian Automotive Market Trends report from the fourth quarter of 2023, there are now about 3.3 million electric cars on American roads. That’s a significant jump from 2 million in 2022 and 1.3 million in 2021. While these numbers are promising, EVs still represent just over 1% of the total light-duty vehicles in the U.S., with a staggering 285 million gas-guzzlers still dominating the highways.

Digging into the data, the U.S. Department of Energy reported California is leading the charge with 1,178,948 light-duty electric vehicle registrations in 2023. California has the greatest number of vehicles, approximately 36% of vehicles nationwide. Other states making notable strides include Florida (231,518), Texas (210,433), Washington (141,055), and New Jersey (125,317). It’s clear that while some states are racing ahead, others are still warming up to the idea of electric transportation.

The Broader Impact of California’s EV Charger Network

California is also pioneering efforts in the infrastructure needed to support this electric surge. As more Californians switch to EVs, the demand for charging stations has skyrocketed. In a recent press release, Governor Gavin Newsom’s office shared an interesting tidbit: For every five gas stations in California, there’s now one electric vehicle fast charging station.

This rapid expansion is part of a massive multi-billion dollar investment plan approved in February. The plan’s goal? To “accelerate progress” on California’s EV charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure, especially in low-income communities. The initiative aims to deploy 40,000 new public chargers across the state, setting the stage for the most extensive charging and refueling network in the country. Plus, federal funding will help install an additional 250,000 public EV chargers along highway corridors and near shopping centers.

Currently, California boasts 105,000 public or shared private chargers, complemented by over 500,000 at-home chargers. This extensive network not only supports the growing number of EVs on the road but also sets a high bar for other states aiming to enhance their own EV infrastructure.

The journey towards widespread EV adoption in the U.S. is well underway, with each year bringing significant advancements. With exciting new EV models rolling out and states like California leading by example with robust charging infrastructure, the future of electric vehicles looks incredibly bright. As we continue to expand and improve EV charging networks, electric cars are becoming a more viable and attractive option for many Americans. This shift is driving us towards a cleaner, more sustainable future—one electric mile at a time.

AUTOWRKX’ Expertise in Commercial EV Chargers

Take a look at a few of our featured projects that included electric vehicle charging infrastructure:

• Multiple interior and exterior tenant improvements at ChargePoint.

• BMW of Fairfield’s ground-up Retail Next dealership.

• Phased and occupied tenant improvement of automotive R&D labs and more at NIO.