States and local governments have a unique and timely opportunity to lead with stable electric vehicle (EV) policy in the face of a shifting federal policy landscape. We’ve seen what states can do when they band together for a common goal. More than a decade ago, 10 states pledged to put 3.3 million EVs on the road by 2025. At the time, it was an ambitious prospect when there were only 200,000 EVs on the road and fewer than 20 models to choose from. The 10 states agreed to adopt similar incentives and regulations to encourage EV ownership, cut pollution, and boost their economies. Now, the state-led effort has hit the 3.3 million milestone, according to a recent report by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management…

Don’t buy into the headlines and naysayers. Regardless of recent government actions, there are bright spots nationwide as consumers continue to buy electric vehicles (EVs).

U.S. consumers bought nearly 133,000 EVs last December, achieving a record-breaking 8.8% of all new cars sold. Florida is now the number two state in EV adoption. EV registrations in Central Florida surged 15.2% in just one year, outpacing the 9.4% national growth rate. Florida’s Orange County saw an even bigger jump — a 46% increase in fully electric and plug-in hybrid registrations from April 2023 to April 2024. In California, 2024 ended with 108,303 new EV sales in Q4 — an increase of 6% over Q4 2023 sales. The state also surpassed 2.2 million cumulative new EV sales in Q4 2024, recording 2,213,296 million EVs sold by the end of the year, up from 1,769,922 in 2023. EV’s in California had over a 25% market share by the end of 2024. While many factors influence the EV sales market, the threat of possible shifts in federal incentives may have contributed to stronger-than-expected sales in the fourth quarter. Regardless, automaker EV bets are starting to pay off.

Two headlines in the last month tell compelling stories for the future of the EV market in 2025. First, according to our recently released polling data, 60% of Americans agree the election results had zero impact on their interest in getting an electric vehicle (EV). The second, which supports our poll findings, comes from The New York Times reporting major automaker sales gains in 2024 thanks to the introduction of dozens of competing EV models, providing buyers with newer designs, lower prices at the dealership and the $7,500 federal tax incentive. Despite the sales growth of EVs in the U.S., our data shows that Americans mistakenly believe we are a leader in EV manufacturing.

While consumers and industry leaders read the crystal ball on the potential policy shifts from the incoming federal administration, the polling data and EV sales trends show that whether a Republican or Democrat is in the White House, EVs have the momentum and are here to stay. China is currently the global leader on EV manufacturing; however, America is positioned to also lead if we keep the pedal to the metal on EV manufacturing investments. We must do more to support EV manufacturing in the U.S. to lead in this crucial global economic pillar.

Since my last blog in October, leadership in Washington D.C. is changing and one thing is certain: public funding delivered through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is creating EV jobs across the U.S. and inspiring on-going private sector investment.

We’ve had three U.S. presidents since the first modern electric vehicle (EV) came to market in 2010. Regardless of who sat in the Oval Office, EVs continued to make huge strides in availability, affordability, range and market share across the globe. And the charging infrastructure to support the growing number of EVs on the road continues to expand exponentially. And EV sales are growing in blue, red and purple states because EVs are for everyone. Life-long, self-described “petrol heads” agree.

With falling EV prices, a strong used EV market, more incentives and rebates available than ever before, and better affordability overall, there is an EV for everyone. Recent data conducted by Probolsky Research, in partnership with Veloz reveals that nearly 80% of current EV drivers in California plan to purchase another EV for their next car, refuting a survey in the headlines that said most EV owners would choose to go back to a gas car. Another national survey found that almost 90% of EV owners said they are “likely” or “very likely” to purchase an EV as their next car.

Contrary to some media headlines, the electrical grid as it exists today is prepared to handle the electric vehicles (EVs) currently plugging in and, as EV sales continue to increase, electric utilities are already planning improvements to accommodate millions more of them. While industry and policy leaders are making preparations to welcome new EV drivers to the road, utilities are identifying new technology solutions that allow EVs to benefit the grid — from cost reductions for all utility customers to reliability improvements to climate pollution reduction.

Media headlines over the last six months questioning the future of the electric vehicle (EV) industry, while provocative and no doubt driving the clicks they were designed to elicit, are not painting the full picture of the evolution happening across the globe in the transition to electrified transportation. The transition to EVs is just reaching its adolescence. Sales continue to rise globally and second-quarter U.S. sales climbed 11.3% from last year.

At Veloz, our vision is that 100% of new cars sold throughout the state and the nation are electric. We often tout ditching the gas station and charging up at home — like you do your cell phone every night — as one of the greatest benefits of owning an electric vehicle.

However, if we’re going to achieve our transportation electrification goals and bring the benefits of pollution-free, gas-free car ownership to more people, we need to find more ways to plug-in at townhouses, apartments and condos — known as multifamily or multi-unit dwellings. Installing charging infrastructure at multifamily dwellings is one of the biggest hurdles facing the transition to electric vehicles.

There are two main issues that must be overcome to make multifamily dwelling charging easier:

1. The high costs of building new charging infrastructure.
2. The logistical difficulty of retrofitting older buildings that don’t have the power capacity or panel space […]

As we watch the war unfold in Eastern Europe, our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine, our colleagues whose family and friends are in danger and the people of Russia who do not want this war. As a global community, we rely on not only the generosity and kindness of our neighbors, but also on resources and goods from countries a world away.

Russia is the third largest producer of petroleum in the world and the current geopolitical crisis illustrates how imperative it is to transition away from a fossil-fuel based economy for the health and safety of all people and our planet. At Veloz, an important part of our mission is to eliminate our dependence on oil by replacing all gas-powered vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) in California and beyond.

To do that, we need to think globally and act locally […]