How many electric cars are in the US?

Every day, more and more drivers are choosing an electric vehicle (EV) as their next method of transport, making them an increasingly common sight on our roads and highways. In fact, according to a consumer trends report by global data analytics and credit reporting company Experian, the popularity of EVs is growing exponentially – and not just in the states you might expect.

But just how popular are we talking? In this guide we’ll provide black and white stats on how many electric cars are in the US, before giving you a birds-eye view of the global industry.

How many EVs are there in the United States?

According to Experian, there are now 1.7 million electric cars in operation in the USA. Just to put this into perspective, there are almost 285 million total vehicles on the road. So there’s no doubt that EV popularity has a long way to go.

But let’s look at the wider trends too. 

• Experian note that there were only 400,000 EVs on the road as recently as 2018. That’s an increase of 325% in just four years.
• What’s more, new electric vehicle registrations are also on the up. Back in 2018, they comprised just 1.5% of total new vehicle registrations. By 2022, they had risen to over 5%. This is an increase of 250%.
• According to Yahoo!, electric vehicle registration jumped 60% in the first quarter of 2022 alone.

Electric car sales used to center around California and the northeast. But the boom in electric car popularity bucks the trend – with huge increases in cities such as Tucson, Orlando and Oklahoma City. In fact, Florida and Texas reported the second and third most EV vehicle registrations in 2021.

Let’s dig a bit deeper and look at America’s key market for electric vehicles – California.

How many electric vehicles are there in California?

In total, 1.3 million electric vehicles have been sold in California. The Sunshine State was an early adopter of EVs, and they remain more popular there than anywhere else in the USA.

A recent report from the California Governor’s office sheds light on just how many electric vehicles there are in California:

• 17.7% of all cars sold in California are EVs.
• 250,000 electric vehicles were sold in California in 2022.
• 42% of EVs in the USA are sold in California.

Some of this success could come down to state subsidies for EV drivers. In fact, up to $9,500 is available in subsidies and grants for low-income families looking to go electric.

Whether in California, Texas, New York or Florida, electric cars are booming across the USA. Now, let’s compare this to the global picture – and look at how many electric cars there are around the world.

How many electric cars are there around the world?

According to a report on electric cars by the International Energy Association – an intergovernmental organisation that provides data, analysis and policy recommendations on the global energy sector – there are currently 16.5 million electric vehicles on the roads globally.

Like in America, we’re seeing a huge rise in popularity worldwide. 16.5 million may pale by comparison to the estimated 1.4 billion total cars on the road, but it represents a 300% increase in EV sales since 2018.

Electric car sales doubled between 2021 and 2020 to reach 6.6 million sales. Again, context is key here: 2012 saw only 120,000 electric car sales worldwide. These figures are impressive in their own right, but compared to the number of gas-powered cars using the internal combustion engine, there is still some way to go yet before EVs overtake gas vehicles.