Articles & Media

The Signal and the Noise on Washington’s EV Progress

by | Apr 22, 2025 | Newsletter

The last couple weeks have seen several stories based on updated electric vehicle (EV) registrations published by the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). Despite Washington remaining among the nationwide leaders in electric vehicle sales, these reports cast dire straits on our state’s EV efforts, claiming that electrification progress has stalled or even reversed. 

The situation is more nuanced. Here’s how to cut through the noise and get to the signal on Washington’s EV progress. 

The Signal

From Clean & Prosperous Institute Executive Director Michael Mann: “I think the important news is that our EV ownership in Washington continues to grow, and we are one of the leading states in the country in transitioning away from dirtier and more expensive fuels for our transportation to cleaner and cheaper fuels.”

Our Goal

Washington state has the ambitious goal of phasing out gasoline-powered new car sales by 2035, aligned with California and the 17 other jurisdictions that have adopted their clean car policies. 

Where We Are Today

Washington continues to be a leader in the transition for drivers towards stable and cheaper electricity. According to data from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Washington state continues to trend in the right direction regarding EV uptake: After leading the nation with a 5.9 percentage point increase in 2023, Washington remained top four in 2024 with a 2.2 percentage point increase. For the fourth quarter of 2024, Washington had the third-highest EV market share of all states at 21.3 percent. 

The longer-term context is even more impressive. The EV market share in Washington has nearly tripled in just four years from 7.8 percent in 2021 to 21.3 percent in 2024.

Nationwide EV Market Share. Source: Alliance for Automotive Innovation 

What’s happening in Colorado?

Despite federal support for EVs receding, the story in Colorado is impressive and shows ample room for growth in Washington state. Colorado emerged as the new leader in the fourth quarter of 2024 on the heels of strong statewide incentives. In their latest report, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation notes Colorado’s impressive market share growth, which is nearly triple the next highest performing state: “Colorado realized the greatest increase in market share, year-over-year with a 7.5 pp increase. Following Colorado, the states with the largest market share gains were Hawaii (2.6 pp), Michigan (2.3 pp), Washington (2.2 pp), Florida (1.9), and Vermont (1.9).”

Colorado now leads the nation in EV market share growth over the last five years – although Washington is third with EV market share growth quadrupling in that time.

Tracking the Road Ahead

Clean & Prosperous Institute follows research best practices and longer-term trendlines rather than forecasting using snapshot data that does not take into account sales variability throughout the year. Historically, EV registrations start the year slow and pick up through the third quarter. Early year snapshots do not capture these historical trends, and should not be used to make projections or direct policy.  

Even if the EV market softens in the face of reduced or eliminated federal incentives and the impact of tariffs on new car prices, manufacturers have been able to generate credits for EV and hybrid sales since 2023. They can use these credits to meet upcoming compliance targets. According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, which is the regulatory agency that oversees Washington’s clean car program, with existing credits, manufacturers are in a strong position to meet the EV compliance target in 2026.

What We Know Works

While EV adoption continues to grow, we know that two major barriers to widespread adoption remain: Affordability in terms of up-front costs, and accessible, functional charging infrastructure. 

Washington state has already proved itself a leader in addressing these barriers: Last year, the Washington State Department of Commerce launched the EV Instant Rebate program, which provided eligible low-income households with significant discounts on EVs. The program was incredibly popular and effective; it provided rebates to about 6,200 people in less than three months. As the Colorado experience shows, there remains substantial upside for EV uptake through popular and effective incentive programs.

The state has also made incredible gains in charging infrastructure: In 2014, Washington had 1,518 EV charging ports. In 2024, there were  6,129. In last year’s budget, the Legislature allocated funding to create 5,500 additional charging ports.

Continued embrace of effective policies like these will be crucial for meeting our 100 percent new EV goals in 2035. 

Reliable Data Sources

There are a lot of EV data sources out there. Caution should be applied to anyone comparing month-over-month growth without the context of full-year or multi-year growth.

Here are a few that we use and trust: 

2025 Future of Carbon Policy Forum Report

In January, Clean & Prosperous Institute held our seventh annual Future of Carbon Policy Forum. These forums serve as a way to preview the coming legislative session, build connections, and catalyze innovative policy ideas. 

You can now explore the conversations had and connections made at the 2025 Future of Carbon Policy Forum in this report! At this year’s forum, we discussed legislative priorities, including continued efforts to decarbonize medium- and heavy-duty trucks, powering industry with advanced zero-carbon solutions, and the future of climate policy after I-2117. 

Follow CPI on Social Media

Follow Clean & Prosperous Institute on social media to stay up-to-date on our work to advance pathways to a clean economy. You can find us on these channels: