Over Two Million On-Road Light Duty Electric Vehicles Registered in The U.S. in 2021 : EIA

The number of U.S. registered light duty electric vehicles on the roads reached 2.13 million vehicles in 2021, according to an Sept. 20 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This number has increased year-on-year since 2012, surpassing a million in 2018 and two million in 2021.

In 2012, there were less than 100,000 EVs on U.S. roads and the growth over the last decade can be attributed to electric vehicles rising in popularity in the U.S. due to consumer preferences. Moreover, a greater supply and variety of available EV models and government legislation intended to increase electric vehicle usage have further contributed to the growth in the number of registered light duty vehicles on the roads in the U.S.

Government policies that have increased EV usage over the last decade include EV procurement incentives, zero-emission vehicle trade obligations and fuel economy standards.  Federal and state regulators are actively pursuing efforts to promote the use of EVs and expand investment in charging infrastructure. Recently, the U.S. Energy Department took a major step to support an equitable transition to EVs by providing grants and loans to retrofit existing automotive manufacturing facilities. Several states, including California, New York, Minnesota and Colorado, have expanded funding and incentives to support EV adoption and charging solutions.

The agency’s count of electric vehicles include both battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. In 2021, battery electric vehicles accounted for the greatest proportion of EVs in the U.S. at 65 percent. The registered vehicle count incorporates all presently registered on road vehicles and excludes any past sales that are no longer registered to an individual or corporation. In 2021, about 135,000 EVs were no more on the road and have therefore been excluded from the count of 2.13 million vehicles. Not all EVs that have been sold so far are still driving, and therefore, the registered vehicle stock is a better measure of the number of EVs on U.S. roads than the cumulative EV sales.

In terms of car age, the average electric vehicle in 2021 was 3.6 years old while the average non-electric vehicle was 11.1 years old. The former is much younger due to the relatively recent increase in electric vehicle sales. In 2021, 27 percent of registered electric vehicles in the U.S. were procured in the previous three years.