Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on CoPilot.
In just a few years, electric vehicles have become the future of the automotive industry.
In 2008, fledgling automaker Tesla launched its first Roadster models, targeting sales of 100 units per month. In the years since, Tesla has become one of the largest companies in the world by market capitalization and today dominates the global electric vehicle market, selling nearly one million units a year.
While Tesla remains the top choice for buyers in the electric vehicle market, the company’s success has also paved the way for other electric vehicle startups like Rivian.
More established automakers have also ventured into the electric vehicle market in recent years. The launch of the Nissan Leaf in 2010 was a first foray for established automakers into electric vehicles, and other major automakers have added electric and hybrid vehicles to their lineups over time.
Some go even further: General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen are among the big automakers that have announced plans to go all-electric and eventually stop selling gasoline-powered vehicles altogether.
A combination of factors explains the growing success of electric vehicles. The technology behind electric vehicles has improved, as the batteries now offer longer range on one charge. Consumer interest has increased, with buyers seeing electric vehicles as a way to reduce their environmental impact and potentially save on fuel costs.
In the European Union and in American states such as New York and California, policymakers have decided to limit the sale of combustion vehicles and encourage consumers to buy electric vehicles as part of greater efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
Despite these trends, barriers remain to an all-electric future in the United States. Chief among them is the development of a national charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
The data used in this study comes from the US Department of Energy. To determine the states with the most alternative gas stations, CoPilot researchers calculated the number of electric vehicle charging ports per capita.
Here are the states with the most alternative fuel stations.
15. Virginia
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 38.4
- Total number of EV chargers: 3,301
- Loaders level 1: 247
- Tier 2 Chargers: 2,296
- DC fast chargers: 758
14. New York
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 39.4
- Total number of EV chargers: 7,621
- Chargers level 1: 42
- Tier 2 Loaders: 6,733
- DC fast chargers: 846
13. Connecticut
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 40.2
- Total number of EV chargers: 1,430
- Chargers level 1: 76
- Tier 2 Chargers: 1,040
- DC fast chargers: 312
12. Nevada
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 43.1
- Total number of EV chargers: 1,353
- Level 1 Chargers: 16
- Level 2 Chargers: 993
- DC fast chargers: 344
11. Maine
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 46.6
- Total number of electric vehicle chargers: 629
- Level 1 Chargers: 24
- Level 2 Chargers: 470
- DC fast chargers: 135
10.Washington
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 56.3
- Total number of EV chargers: 4,328
- Loaders level 1: 218
- Tier 2 Loaders: 3,394
- DC fast chargers: 716
9.Maryland
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 56.4
- Total number of EV chargers: 3,416
- Chargers level 1: 47
- Tier 2 Chargers: 2,785
- DC fast chargers: 584
8. Oregon
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 57.5
- Total number of EV chargers: 2,439
- Chargers level 1: 88
- Tier 2 Loaders: 1,917
- DC fast chargers: 434
7. Hawaii
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 59.2
- Total number of electric vehicle chargers: 833
- Chargers level 1: 30
- Level 2 Chargers: 724
- DC fast chargers: 79
6. Rhode Island
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 59.4
- Total number of electric vehicle chargers: 628
- Chargers level 1: 82
- Level 2 Chargers: 509
- DC fast chargers: 37
5.Utah
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 60.9
- Total number of EV chargers: 1,978
- Chargers level 1: 17
- Level 2 chargers: 1,722
- DC fast chargers: 239
4. Colorado
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 68.5
- Total number of EV chargers: 3,978
- Chargers level 1: 89
- Tier 2 Loaders: 3,307
- DC fast chargers: 582
3.Massachusetts
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 70.7
- Total number of EV chargers: 4,871
- Chargers level 1: 74
- Tier 2 Chargers: 4,369
- DC fast chargers: 428
2. California
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 104.7
- Total number of EV chargers: 41,225
- Chargers level 1: 676
- Tier 2 Chargers: 33,690
- DC fast chargers: 6,817
1. Vermont
- EV chargers per 100,000 inhabitants: 139.7
- Total number of EV chargers: 871
- Level 1 Chargers: 71
- Level 2 Chargers: 725
- DC fast chargers: 75
Methodology
The data used in this study comes from the US Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center. To determine which states have the most alternative gas stations, CoPilot researchers calculated the number of electric vehicle charging ports per 100,000 residents. In the event of a tie, the state with the most total number of electric vehicle charging ports was ranked higher. Data includes public and private station charging ports.
