EV Adoption Hits a Bump
First-quarter sales lagged, but EVs on U.S. roads hit a record.

The ratio of total U.S. public charging ports for each EV is one to 30, the alliance said.
Pexels/César Baciero
U.S. new electric-vehicle sales fell slightly in the first quarter, according to a major automaker trade group that found public charging remains a major roadblock. Still, registrations were up 9% year-over-year.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation report shows a one percentage point drop from the fourth quarter to 10% of light-duty sales, or about flat year-over-year.
The share of gas-powered models, meanwhile, fell about five percentage points from the first quarter of 2024.
EV registrations, meanwhile, were up 9% to nearly 375,000 vehicles, according to alliance data, which shows the number of U.S. EVs in operation hit a historic peak of 6.2 million, or 2%.
The group counted 149 EV models on the U.S. market, pickups comprising 79% of the market, down two percentage points from the fourth quarter.
California still led states in EV registrations at about 24%, followed by Washington, D.C., Washington state, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, New Jersey, Hawaii, Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, Delaware and Florida, all exceeding 10% market share.
Public chargers haven’t kept pace with EV adoption, however gradual sales may be increasing, the alliance found. The number of chargers grew quarter-over-quarter by 5% while registered EVs increased 6%, or 42 EVs for each new port. The ratio of total ports for each EV is one to 30.
The Trump administration pulled Biden-era funding for states to build out EV charging infrastructure, though this week a federal judge ordered release of the balance of the money.
LEARN MORE: World EV Sales Jump
More Industry

Penske Auto Group Deal a Record
The deal to take the dealership and transportation services company private sets a new pace for industry buy-sell transactions.
Read More →
War Toll a Damper on Used Auto Prices
Cox Automotive found wholesale depreciation to be elevated in September amid high fuel prices and this year's unusual hurricane season.
Read More →
Bridge the Maintenance Gap
With many drivers missing recommended maintenance, service departments offering transparency and efficiency have a better chance of reaching financially strained consumers.
Read More →
California Store Has New Owner
The longtime dealership in the northern part of the state is known for robust fleet sales and has served the state capital for 115 years.
Read More →
BMW Plant Pursues Cleaner Energy
BMW Group Plant Leipzig has utilized hydrogen to help power its production since 2013, but a new pipeline is planned to take it to another level.
Read More →
Auto Affordability Inches Up
The latest Cox Automotive and Moody’s Analytics index shows a slight increase in new-vehicle affordability despite high prices.
Read More →
Ohio Auto Group Under New Ownership
After 79 years with the Schluter family, Mansfield Auto Group has been acquired by Missouri-based Clement Auto Group.
Read More →
RV Group Expands Carolina Footprint
Blue Compass RV Columbia Northeast is the 13th RV dealership owned by Blue Compass in the Carolinas.
Read More →
Agent Acumen
An Agent Summit panel of people who’ve been supporting auto dealers for years gave both timely and timeless advice for those starting out or mulling the prospect.
Read More →
Missed Maintenance Creates Opportunity
As families get back on the road and into daily school routines, service drives have an opportunity to capture customers who are behind on recommended vehicle maintenance.
Read More →