What is driving EV adoption now? – Pure technique

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There is not much concern in China and Europe. Electric vehicle adoption continues to rise and the policies put in place in these major markets, as well as the natural technological learning curve, mean that EV sales will continue to grow year on year, replacing polluting, costly and inefficient fossil fuel vehicles. But in the United States…we have problems.

The US EV market has grown more slowly than the Chinese or European EV market, but it has grown nonetheless. For the first three quarters of the year, EV sales totaled 1,047,539 in the USA, from 943,285 in 1-3 quarter 2024, 871,488 in 1-3 quarter 2023, 579,168 in 1-3 quarter 2022, 339,688 in Q1–Q3 2021 and 161,742 in Q1-Q3 2020. I don’t think I need to go back any further; it’s clear that EV sales are growing in the United States.

Yes, we know that Q3 (10.6% EV share of the car market) was a strange quarter, so comparing it to 8.7% in October 2024 is misleading, and the market share in the first half of 2025 was similar to the first half of 2024, so perhaps you can say that the market was already stagnant for various reasons. But now the $7,500 EV tax credit is gone. Also gone is the $4,000 used EV tax credit that makes it easier for original owners to sell their cars at a good price and buy new EVs. So on the consumer demand side, it’s clearly going to take a hit unless the automakers drastically cut their EV prices, and they don’t.

There are other problems on the automaker’s side. For decades, automakers were required to meet certain fleet efficiency standards or pay the consequences. These requirements have pushed automakers to build and sell electric vehicles, especially as standards have been raised. However, in addition to limiting the standards, the Trump administration has decided not to penalize automakers if they don’t meet the requirements. Are the car companies sticking to their commitments and doing what they should? Apparently not. Some companies have said they won’t sell electric cars in the U.S. that they planned to sell here, and others have talked about limiting or even stopping production of certain EV models.

It’s hard not to be down about it all at the moment. The US market for electric cars could shrink. Car manufacturers show almost no conviction or morals. And Tesla has tarnished with CEO Elon Musk’s extreme political activities. (Have you heard of him?)

However, let’s not forget the biggest sales points of electric cars. It drives better. They are more convenient for most new car buyers, who can usually charge at home (note that 93% of new car buyers are homeowners). And they have significantly lower operating costs. Years ago, before electric cars were nearly as mainstream as they are today, and when electric car options were much worse, there was a simple but highly effective method to get more people to go electric – “asses in the seats.” Give someone a ride in their EV—or better yet, let them drive around the block—and they’ll almost always be impressed, extremely impressed, and suddenly have a lot more questions about the car and EVs in general. The driving experience is simply better and the instant torque stimulates laughter and can be contagious.

Electric cars aren’t losing their superior ride quality and greater comfort just because the Trump administration doesn’t want people to buy them and is changing policy accordingly. Granted, telling someone they could get a $7,500 tax credit for an EV purchase was a great way to start a conversation and stimulate a purchase, but there are other ways! It’s time to go back to, “Look at this car! Look at what it can do. Isn’t that silent power unit amazing? Here, stop and then step on it.”

Electric cars, which are better vehicles, will continue to sell them. Word of mouth will continue to be the best marketing for EVs. But the more we can get out there and share our EV experiences and create experiences for others, the better. How many EV sales will this lead to? Can the electric car market maintain the level of 2025 and 2026? Could it even grow? Will it drop dramatically?

There is another factor, but it is more long-term. As we’ve written recently, battery technology has improved dramatically over the past decade or so, but those improvements have been fairly consistent in increasing the range of EVs—for example, from 75 miles in the 2011 Nissan LEAF to 305 miles in the 2026 Nissan LEAF, despite a modest price cut. At this point it would be ridiculous to keep increasing range rather than focusing on cost reduction. As battery technology continues to improve and battery costs continue to fall, EVs can become more and more cost-competitive with conventional gas-powered vehicles. Combined with their operating cost savings, this could become a big driver of EV sales – because you get more cars and technology for less money. However, we are not really there yet. We may be there in the higher premium segments, but not yet in the mass market segments.

Overall, there are now millions of electric vehicles on the road in the United States. As with the adoption of other new, better technologies, these products should increase exposure and inspire more purchases. But it also has to do with exposure, especially EV owners talking about their EVs and showing them off. Here we go!

But considering the title above, I should close with one more thing. Another thing that will drive EV adoption is more charging stations. Jake Richardson keeps pointing out the new charging stations being installed around the country and keeps pointing it out, which is what got him thinking. Yes, the more chargers are installed, the more people will see them and think about going electric, and the more people will be able to conveniently charge on the go. The good news is that new EV charging stations are being installed every day.

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