Carmakers Ask 10 States to Help Bolster EV Sales

Carmakers are asking for more support for electric cars from states that support California’s zero-emission-vehicle goals, Automotive News reports.

The governors of nine such states have been asked by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers to detail how they will foster demand for EVs and plug-in hybrids through such actions as sales incentives, tax credits, investment in charging stations and commitments to buy more EVs for government fleets.

AAM’s letter went to Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.

California has been the country’s biggest market for EVs. But carmakers need stronger sales elsewhere in the country to justify their heavy spending on electrified powertrains. The federal Dept. of Energy says there are already 58 zero-emission models offered in the U.S.: 34 of them plug-ins, 21 that are battery-electrics and three powered by fuel cells.

Sales last year of ZEVs in the U.S. totaled some 560,000 units, or about 3% of the total passenger car market, according to Edmunds.com.