According to the Maryland Department of Education/Motor Vehicle Administration. over the last 12 months, more than nine percent of new vehicle registrations in the County are EVs.
This growth is welcome news for the County’s carbon emissions goals. The Climate Action Plan identified transitioning to electric vehicles as a key action for reducing emissions in the County – along with reducing driving overall with increased use of transit, walking and bicycling. With EVs only making up 1.5 percent of registered vehicles, there is a long way to go.
According to a Bloomberg News study of EV adoption around the world, once a market reaches 5 percent of new vehicle sales, demand starts to accelerate rapidly. The United States recently passed this milestone, and Montgomery County is ahead of the curve.
For mainstream adoption of electric vehicles to be possible, consumers need to feel confident they can recharge their vehicles when needed. There is good news on that front, as public charging stations in the County also has been growing rapidly over the last few years.
There are currently more than 500 public charging ports at more than 300 locations across the County, including 92 DC fast-charging ports. The locations of the charging stations can be found at Alternative Fuels Data Center. More than 200 ports were added in 2021, suggesting that charging infrastructure will continue to expand rapidly.
Montgomery County plans to add public charging stations at more than 60 additional sites over the next year, including at recreational centers, libraries and parks.
The County will continue to look for ways to help residents and businesses reduce transportation emissions, like the EV Purchasing Co-op and the Bikeways Program.
