In a report released today, NESCAUM announced that an ambitious goal set in 2013 to advance electric vehicles (EVs) has just been achieved. In a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by ten state governors, a collective target was set to put 3.3 million electric vehicles on their roads by 2025. Based on NESCAUM’s analysis of the data, over 3.3 million electric cars have been registered in these states as of December 31, 2024 – meeting and even exceeding the target on time. In 2013, there were only 87,506 electric vehicles in these ten states.

Elaine O’Grady, NESCAUM Clean Transportation Director, said: “State leadership on electric vehicles has produced incredible results in the past decade, exceeding many expectations. When states work together, they can achieve ambitious goals to reduce air pollution and improve the health and wellbeing of their residents. We look forward to seeing what the next ten years can bring for clean transportation.”

The decision to publicly set this target was an early commitment to advance transportation electrification, and a show of leadership by these ten states. There were only 16 electric vehicle models on the market in the U.S. in 2013 – all smaller vehicles and many only available in California. Now, there are over 150 models available to U.S. consumers in nearly every class of vehicle including compact cars, large sedans, crossovers, SUVs, minivans, and pickups. This expansion of choice is tied to the commitment of these ten states and their market-enabling programs that helped to build the EV market that exists in the U.S. today.

In addition to setting a 3.3 million vehicle target, the MOU also anticipated the importance of charging infrastructure to meet the needs of electric vehicle drivers. Both private and public charging stations have kept up with the pace of growth of EVs, with more than ten times as many charging ports available now compared to 2014. The MOU also established a task force, run by NESCAUM, which has become a critical resource for inter-state coordination in developing and implementing electric vehicle policies such as EV purchase incentives and consumer awareness campaigns.

Paul Miller, NESCAUM Executive Director, said: “Time and again, we’ve heard that the states’ clean vehicle programs are unrealistic. Yet time and again, the states have shown that when they set ambitious goals, then cooperate in support of them, success follows. Congratulations to these states for their accomplishments and leadership.”

The ten states that signed the MOU are: California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont.

Governors Reflect on Reaching this Milestone

“I’m proud to celebrate the success of our states’ collaboration on making transportation cleaner and preventing harmful pollution from the largest emitting sector in the country. As more drivers go green, New Jersey will continue to work toward making electric vehicles accessible to all and expanding the state’s charging infrastructure to support regional demand.” – Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey

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