Washington State Department of Transportation statistics indicated a 200% growth in Electric Vehicle registrations from 2011 to 2013.
In Puget Sound Energy territory, the number of registered EVs rose from 1,188 in 2012 to 4,534 in 2013.
With the greater Seattle area being a national leader in EV ownership and charging station density, that comes as no surprise.
Seattle’s EV trend buttresses Nissan’s report that it was increasing production by 50% to 3,000 units per month to meet growing demand for the Leaf nation-wide.
While 3,000 units per month is still at relatively low for a production car, Leaf sales more than doubled last year to more than 22,000 units.
And that is just the Leaf. From sea to shining sea EV momentum is building.
One factor is the increase in charging stations in major metropolitan areas, like western King County, which boasts hundreds of public EV charging stations.
There are an estimated 554 quick charting stations and 15,000 slower “level 2” public charging stations across the United States.
This alone makes driving an EV feasible for a great many Americans.
A September 2013 survey by the Consumers Union and the Union of Concerned Scientists conducted a nationally-representative survey that determined today’s EVs would suit the driving habits of 42% of U.S. households.
With 1% of U.S. households currently owning an EV, that means there is significant room for growth!
Key findings include:
- 42% of U.S. households meet the basic requirements for using a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). PHEVs, like the Chevy Volt, run on both gasoline and electricity.
- 25% of U.S. households meet the basic requirements for using a battery-electric vehicle (BEV). BEVs, like the Nissan LEAF, run entirely on electricity, with no tailpipe emissions.
- 69% of U.S. households have weekday driving habits within the range of nearly all BEVs on the market today.
- 65% of Americans think electric vehicles are an “essential part of our nation’s transportation future for reducing oil use and global warming pollution.”
