CHEAPR Quietly Finishes a Quiet Year

We can begin with the good news: 2021 was an improvement over 2020, though that is a low bar. Otherwise, meh.

There were 90 rebates awarded and $110,250 expended in December. The annual totals are 1390 rebates and $1,588,000, so another year in which the program did not spend its budget. With funds rolling over, that should mean a war chest of over $6 million for 2022. (The comparable annual totals for 2020 are 675 rebates and $723,500.)

The program also continues its recent trend of being dominated by PHEVs with the Toyota RAV4 Prime leading the way. 62 of 90 rebates in December were PHEV.

This is the distribution of models for the full year. The Model 3 Standard Range Plus was eligible before the price increase and the Model Y Standard Range was eligible briefly before Tesla halted production. As the year progressed, deliveries of the RAV4 Prime ramped and it correlated with a decline in Prius Prime deliveries. The RAV4 is likely to be a bigger part of 2022.

There appears to have been one Rebate+ incentive given in December.

This program has been in a trough for quite some time, and as we’ve written before, the next chance to approve changes will be at the March board meeting on March 16th, 3:00 – 5:00 PM. Unfortunately, their format is for public comments to occur at the end of the meeting. So they are essentially noted for the record and not used as input, something else that needs to be reconsidered.

Post by Barry Kresch

Tesla Remains Leading EV Make by a Large Margin In New DMV Data

The new data, taking us through the end of 2021 have arrived from the DMV. It will take a little time for me to update the dashboard, but here are some top line tidbits.

There are 21,392 total EVs registered in CT as noted on the DMV website. The definition of EV includes battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), fuel cell (FCEV), and battery electric motorcycles (BEMC). This definition follows what was included in the MultiState Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan Memorandum of Understanding that was signed a few years ago. For some reason, in the detail files provided to me, the total is 5 fewer EVs at 21,387.

Fuel Type

BEVs remain the dominant fuel type.

These are the top EV makes. Tesla remains dominant by a mile.

The gap is even wider among BEVs

Within Tesla, the individual model numbers are:

• Model 3 – 4268
• Model Y – 2278
• Model S – 1694
• Model X – 692
• Roadster – 12 (Can’t overlook these.)

It is no surprise that the Model 3 enjoys a wide lead since the Model Y is a newer entrant. The Model Y is reportedly outselling the Model 3, but in the most recent 6 months, there were a higher number of 3s than Ys entering the file (1032 vs. 955). The guess here is that Y deliveries are more backlogged and this will change after the Austin plant revs up.

These are the top 10 cities ranked by the number of registered EVs.

Recovery Induced Rebound in EV Sales

After a truly dismal, pandemic-influenced 2020, where EV registrations increased by an anemic 18.2%, there has been a rebound in 2021 to an increase of 54.9%. CT now has 21,382 EVs, up from 13,800 one year ago. Of course, the pandemic is still with us, but the brief, severe recession is over. Demand has been sharply stronger. If anything, the current numbers are supply constrained.

Newly Registered Vehicles

Keep in mind these are net registration numbers and that there is always turnover in the fleet. If we look at the number of new EVs registered in 2021 vs 2020, the trend is steeper with a 121% increase.

There was an administrative extension of registrations in 2020 that may have caused the Jan ’21 number to be somewhat overstated.

This increased rate of growth is good news, but on a more cautionary note, it puts the state at only 4.3% of the way toward its 2030 goal of 500,000 registered EVs.

The underlying detail of these numbers, which allows us to chart fuel type, make, model, city, etc. is not yet available. We expect it within the next couple of weeks. Nationally, the big sellers have been the Tesla Model Y and 3, Mustang Mach-E, VW ID.4, and Toyota RAV4 Prime. There were several important introductions that happened too late in the year to have much of an impact, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Mercedes-Benz EQS, GMC Hummer, and Rivian R1T and R1S. Of course, GM suffered a serious blow with its large recall and manufacturing interruption of its Bolt and Bolt EUV. The Honda Clarity PHEV ceased to be produced in 2021, though there is reportedly some dealer stock around.

This is the last post of the year for this blog and we wish all of our readers a happy and safe 2022! We hope to kick off our 2022 reporting on all things EV in CT with details of the final EV Rate Design incentives for chargers and charging to be offered through the utilities. The program is slated to go into effect in a few days, but we have not yet seen the final documents.

Soft November 2021 Rebate Level Led By Toyota

Our state EV purchase incentive program has its slowest month of the year in November with only 69 rebates awarded. The pattern of recent months continued.

The Toyota RAV4 Prime is by far the dominant model with 42 of the 69 rebates, or 61%. The next highest model is the Hyundai Kona Electric with 9. The Prius Prime, which had been the most rebated model prior to the ascendance of the RAV4 barely registered with only 4 rebates. Toyota is no doubt expending a lot of effort to understand why the Prius has fallen off so. It seems that consumers looking for fuel efficiency are gravitating toward a model that can do more, not to mention have more electric range.

There were no Tesla rebates as the base trim level Model 3 no longer qualifies due to a price increase. There were no Bolt rebates as GM pushes its way through its massive recall. Perhaps by February, we’ll begin to see new Bolt sales.

Driven by the RAV4, PHEV rebates accounted for 49 of the 69 rebates.

The Rebate+ incentives continue to be sparse with 2 rebates for used vehicles going to a Nissan Leaf and a Kia Soul.

Looking in the Rearview Camera Back Over a Busy 2021

As the year winds to a close, we take this opportunity to give our sincere thanks to all who have joined us for our meetings, events, advocacy, and information efforts. We look forward to seeing you in 2022!

Legislation

2021 was a disappointing year for climate legislation with our top priorities of direct sales, TCI, and adoption of the California emission standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles not making it through the legislature.

The EV Club worked with the other members of the CT EV Coalition on these efforts but the Club was the tip of the spear on direct sales. We wrote blog posts and op-eds such as here (Hartford Courant)and here (CT Mirror). We called, emailed and met with legislators and gave testimony in support of SB 127, a bill we call EV Freedom. Our social media team did an outstanding job promoting direct sales and debunking bad PR meant to sow confusion and doubt about direct sales. Club member Will Cross – also Communications Director for Tesla Owners Club of Connecticut – built a platform, evfreedomct.com, to educate and inform the public about the bill, allow readers to show support by signing a petition and using social media to reach legislators and share excellent EV footage debunking many of the myths being advanced about direct sales.

The EV Freedom Bill made it out of the Transportation Committee but did not get called for a vote in the Senate. We were told that we were 1 vote shy. The bill will be reintroduced by Senator Haskell in 2022.

We held a well-attended press conference, as seen in these photos, with state officials, environmental organizations, labor, and others speaking.

We had support from Tesla and Lucid and were graced by the presence of a Model Y and the Lucid Air. Also, Rivian brought a pre-production R1T to Hartford and gave rides to legislators, followed by a small reception for club-members in New Haven. This was the vehicle’s first appearance in the state.

We thank the bill sponsors, Senator Haskell and Representative Steinberg, our friends at the CT Tesla Owners Club, and all of our members and others who reached out to their representatives, wrote an op-ed, or gave testimony before the legislature.

The only way this bill will pass is if constituents keep the pressure on. 2022 is an election year and it is the time to make our voices heard. We will be asking everyone to reach out again. Each year starts anew. If you have contacted your representatives in the past, memory is fleeting; it is important to do so again. Our state’s ability to meet its EV and emission reduction goals depends on it, not to mention that it has overwhelming consumer support. We will be communicating more specifics about the policy agenda for 2022 as they become available.

The footprint of the club continues to expand. We have now become a go-to source for press when comments about EV-related news are sought, including a recent, not as yet published article from CNN.com. The EV Club has also been invited to sit on the policy committee of the (national) Electric Vehicle Association (formerly the Electric Auto Association) even though we are not a chapter. The EVA formally endorses direct sales and will be another resource for us.

Events

• The EV Club again partnered with Sustainable Fairfield to stage an EV Parade from Westport to Fairfield for National Drive Electric Week (NDEW). This year it was followed by an EV showcase at the parade terminus with speakers.
• We supported as best we could other NDEW events held around the state, such as a successful event at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain.
• We were pleased to again support the Electric Car Guest Drive folks at their ride and drive event in Montgomery, NY.

Speaking Engagements

• AIACT – All electric home and BEVs webinar for architects
• Sustainable Essex – Deep dive into EV charging
• Route 7 EV Corridor dedication

• Municipal Police EV Adoption Workshop
• West Hartford Environment Committee
• Sustainable Weston
• Sierra Club Hartford
• Save the Sound Legislative Panel
• Webinar (Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel!) – How to Save on an EV and Get Free Charging

(We will be updating our incentive content. There is a lot of news on the near-term horizon with the PURA/utility incentives about to be finalized, and the possibility of major changes to the federal purchase incentive in the Build Back Better bill.)

Data

• Two updates to the EV Dashboard with more charts added.
• Track of CHEAPR performance, which continues to under-perform (that means allocated funds are underspent)
• Financial Analysis of Westport Police Model 3 patrol car, along with modeling out the financial implications for fleet adoption.

Select Meeting Speakers

• Marissa Gillett, Chair of Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, spoke about the upcoming EV Rate Design.
• Congressman Himes – A look forward to climate legislation
• Citizens Climate Lobby – Dr. Roger Kuhns discussed a proposal for a carbon tax with dividend.
• Stephen Wagner of South Windsor Planning and Zoning discussed using zoning regulations to improve charging access
• Kim Pacquette, early Tesla FSD beta tester spoke early in the year, followed by a recent panel of local drivers who have the received the recent upgrade

Westport Fire Department

EV Club Members loaned their vehicles for training so first responders can learn how to handle the cables and where to cut if necessary. We have had another request, this one from the Bethel Fire Department. We are waiting on a firm date before asking for volunteers. All that is involved is leaving the vehicle for a few hours so they can look at the wiring.

Club members participated in a fund-raiser to help Louisiana residents after the hurricanes. It was a grassroots effort driven by Tesla owners and coordinated with local LA resident, Clean Technica journalist, Johnna Crider.

Finally, this post is being composed on giving Tuesday, though it most likely will not make it live until Wednesday (yep, that’s what happened). The EV Club does not take donations, but several of our esteemed partners on the EV Coalition would be happy for any largess, for example, Save the Sound, The Sierra Club, Acadia Center, League of Conservation Voters, Electric Vehicle Association. If you are considering further giving options this year, please consider them.

Please scroll to the bottom of the home page to fill out the form to join the club (free) and sign up for our email blasts inviting you to our virtual meetings and events.

CHEAPR Reporting for September 2021

The top-line CHEAPR stats for September have been released. With 124 rebates, the pattern of recent months continues with more rebates than one year ago when the economy was struggling, but much lower than the corresponding month in 2019 when the old MSRP cap was in place.

The way the reporting works, any of the income-limited Rebate+ incentives are reported as a separate row of data. The count that is published on the CHEAPR website is that of rebates. There was one of the Plus incentives awarded in September, so the 124 rebates represent 123 vehicles. The Plus rebate was for a new vehicle. There has yet to be a rebate awarded for a used EV.

The program has increasingly been shifting toward a predominantly PHEV program. This continues in September with PHEVs representing 81 of the 124 rebates.

Toyota appears to have a big success on its hands with the RAV4 Prime, a PHEV version of its popular SUV. It was by far the most rebated vehicle with 67 rebates accounting for 54% of all rebates. There were 30 Tesla Model 3 rebates. All other models accounted for fewer than 10 rebates. Since RAV4 Prime deliveries have ramped, it seems to have cannibalized sales of the Prius Prime.

The PHEV shift was exacerbated by the travails affecting the Chevy Bolt. The Bolt and the new Bolt EUV had only one rebate each. It will take GM a little time to dig itself out of this hole and recover from any reputational damage. Manufacturing of the Bolt has resumed, but club-member Bolt owners are still waiting for the disposition of their vehicles, whether it is a repair or a buy-out.

Going forward, the most rebated BEV, the Tesla Model 3 SR+, will start to fall out of the data fairly soon as the price was raised and it is now above the MSRP cap. Many of the newer BEVs, such as the Mustang Mach-E, are also above the cap. The chart below shows rebates by vehicle.

Reporting Resumes After A Hiatus

This blog follows the state EV purchase incentive program, CHEAPR. It’s an important part of the state’s effort to support EV adoption. The surveys from rebate recipients indicate it is an important factor in deciding to drive electric, and we have no reason to doubt those findings. However, the program’s performance has been disappointing for close to two years now.

Early this year, the CHEAPR board approved major changes to the program. The amount of the incentives were raised on a temporary basis (through the remainder of 2021, funds permitting). Incentives for income-limited individuals were added in the form of a supplemental incentive for new vehicles as well as an incentive for used EVs. There was also a welcome “backdoor” move to permit consumers to use the incentive 2 more times. I say “backdoor” because it was never discussed at a board meeting and was not included in any of the proposals that the board voted on. It just happened.

The program changes took effect on June 7th. We now have reporting through August 31st. The reporting does not yet provide for the new Rebate+ incentives. However, it was revealed at the board meeting that over the 12 weeks since the start of the new program, there was only 1 income-limited rebate awarded. This was an “Rebate+ New” rebate, the supplemental rebate for a new EV. The most convincing reason offered for this was that the public assistance programs that qualify an individual’s eligibility apply to people who simply don’t have enough income. It was suggested that the program should be recalibrate, possibly with an income-based qualifier. The convenience (easier to document) of the public assistance formulation may just not hit the right target.

The other proposed explanation is that the initial birthing pains plus insufficient outreach and a lack of collaterals has brought us to this place. DEEP resisted making any changes until the end of the year review. 1 rebate in 12 weeks sounds like a convincing data point to us.

Another “backdoor” issue, in that as with the extra opportunities to use the rebate, it was never discussed but just appeared, is the restriction on vehicle models for used rebates. If there is already the public assistance qualifier in place, we don’t see the point of further restrictions. The eligible models for the regular CHEAPR have pretty much been ported over to the used program with the additional restriction that no vehicle manufactured before the inception of CHEAPR can qualify. A very low income population is likely going to buy an older car with high mileage.

Over the past three months, the rebate levels have not quite recovered to where they were two years ago (429 vs. 467). Rebate numbers declined dramatically last year in the teeth of the pandemic. (The number from 2 years ago is with the previous higher MSRP cap in place.)

70% of the rebates over the past 3 months have been for PHEVs. To see the program turn so heavily into a PHEV rebate program is distressing but not surprising. Many of the popular BEVs, especially those with larger battery packs, are more than the $42K limit. The reason for this trend is very obvious: The Toyota RAV4 Prime. It accounted for 58 of 130 rebates and seems to be cannibalizing the Prius Prime to some degree. We will watch it over the next few months.  The new Jeep Wrangler PHEV is above the $42K cap. The Chevy Bolt, which had been doing better since it was refreshed this year, had a big drop, expected given the travails of the fires and the extensive recall.

The board meetings are now scheduled on a quarterly basis, so new developments are not likely forthcoming for some time. The public audience was unusually vocal this meeting. In particular, there were many requests for the MSRP cap to be raised at least back to where it used to be ($50K). We will update with more complete reporting when available.

Fairfield County is Home to 41% of EVs

7023 of 17,217 EVs in the state are registered in Fairfield County.

The map at the top of the post shows the distribution of EVs across cities. The larger the bubble the greater the number of EVs, with the top cities being Greenwich, Stamford, Westport, Fairfield, Norwalk, West Hartford, and New Canaan. These ranks don’t change that quickly but Norwalk has overtaken West Hartford. There is nowhere near enough room to display all cities in the static screenshot of the recent trend below. In the interactive dashboard, there is both a slider and a slicer to help navigate the larger charts.

Adjusting for population reveals a different rank with mostly smaller towns in Fairfield County dominating: Westport, Weston, New Canaan, Greenwich, Woodbridge, Darien, and Wilton.

The two charts below show EVs by make by city. These do not come directly from the DMV because the DMV separates the geo from the other information. I have created my own estimates based on the available data. Again, the screenshot is not large enough to display all cities and all of the makes in the legend. The dominant orange color is Tesla. Below the bar chart is the same data in map form with bubbles sized to overall EVs and the wedges representing each make. Again, it looks better in the dashboard which has more visual flexibility.

If anyone has any questions about a particular city, please email EVClubCT@gmail.com.

Post by Barry Kresch

Tesla Continues to Lap the Field

The chart at the top of the post shows the trend of all EV makes and shows net registrations at each point in time. It makes very obvious the fact that registrations are largely concentrated among a small number of companies. This trend begins with 2017, which was the first year we received data from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and covers every data point we have through July 2021. Beginning with January 2020, updates have been provided semi-annually as that frequency is driven by the statutory requirements for EV reporting imposed upon the DMV.

Tesla has continued to have substantial increases. Toyota had a notable pop. Chevrolet reversed the negative momentum and gained modestly. Ford, BMW, Hyundai, Honda, Volvo, Porsche, Chrysler and Jeep all had modest increases. Other makes had very small increases or were flat.  I will look at the vehicles that were added and drill down to models to see what caused the changes.

The pie chart below shows the vehicles added by make for the first half of the year. Tesla, with 1421 adds, was double the nearest competitor, Toyota, though the latter still had a strong period with 761 adds. The other makes with over 200 adds were Chevrolet, Hyundai, BMW, Ford, and Jeep.

This second pie chart is filtered for BEVs (the title of the chart does not change when the filter is applied), where Tesla accounted for 6 in 10 vehicles added followed by Chevy, Hyundai, and Ford.

The charts below are a filtered review of net registration trends by model within make (i.e. net cumulative registrations). This provides some context to how lineups and model impact have evolved over time. There is some degree of a rising tide lifting all boats, but there are some new models that are decidedly making a difference. They are presented in order of the number of registered units for the make.

Tesla

Starting with Tesla, while the Model 3 continues to register significant gains at each data point, and remains the most widely registered model with 3,426 vehicles, the momentum has shifted to the Model Y. The first bar, the small one, for the Model Y is small due to lack of supply. While Tesla still can’t seem to build them fast enough (as of this writing, we are advised of a ~6 month wait for most orders), the delivery count is now substantial at 1,329, approaching that of the Model S at 1,580, which it will certainly pass when we receive our next update in January 2022. Again, we are looking at registrations, but it indicates that the Model Y is outselling the Model 3. Tesla has a new plant under construction in Texas and a new battery design (the 4860) forthcoming. These developments should speed the production of the Model Y and enable Tesla to begin deliveries of the Cybertruck. Inside EVs reports Tesla having over 1.25 million pre-orders for the Cybertruck as of early August.

Toyota

The next largest make is Toyota. The Prius Prime PHEV has been around a while and had displayed a flattening trend, but registrations jumped in the first half of 2021 to 2,152. This makes it the second most widely registered model. Added to that is a decent start for the new RAV4 Prime, also a PHEV, but with one of the higher electric ranges in its class at 42 miles. There are 386 of them registered and there have been reports of their being supply-constrained. Toyota briefly made a BEV RAV4 in limited quantities. There are 2 of them in CT. The other vehicle here, the Mirai is a fuel cell car. There are 3 of those.

Toyota has been resistant to BEVs for lack of any obvious reason. They introduced a concept SUV this year, the bZ4X, and have announced a plan for 15 BEV models by 2025 (not necessarily all of them for the USA).

Chevrolet

The third most widely registered make is Chevrolet. The most widely registered Chevy is still the Volt (PHEV) that was discontinued in 2019. For a time, before the Model 3, it was the most widely registered model in the state. The decline over the last 4 data points is pretty gradual, considering the discontinuation, and could reflect a presence as a used vehicle. Chevy re-introduced the Bolt in 2021 and significantly reduced the price (possibly due to GM phasing out of the federal tax incentive). The Bolt has been a lethargic presence since its introduction, but the combination of the new model and lower price enabled it to register a jump to 787 units registered. The new EUV version of the Bolt was not yet available during the analysis period.

Ford

Ford jumped into fourth position among EV makes, very clearly on the strength of the new Mustang Mach-E. Ford has been manufacturing EVs, both BEV and PHEV, for some time without any models getting traction. More recently, they have switched to a strategy of building an EV version of their most iconic brands, the Mustang and the F-150. In the case of the Mustang, it is more a case of branding as the electric Mustang is an EUV. The F-150 Lightning really is an electric F-150 pickup.

The Mach-E BEV has 136 units, enough to make a difference for Ford overall. It has been a supply constrained vehicle and dealers have been selling them above MSRP. The Escape is a successful compact SUV and Ford has introduced a PHEV version. There is only one registered, but it is only just about to be rolled out. The F-150 BEV is not scheduled to begin deliveries until second quarter 2022. Reports are that Ford has pre-orders for over 100,000 units.

BMW

The next ranking make is BMW. As you can see, they have quite a few plug-in models. After initially building the stubby, though fun to drive i3, which is primarily a BEV, though there is an option for a small gasoline range-extender engine, BMW has pivoted to PHEV versions of its ICE lineup. The notable model here is the X5 Xdrive40e. The 2021 version boasts a substantial electric range improvement from only 14 miles to 50 miles, plus a 6-cylinder gas engine. It has become BMW’s top plug in with 252 units. There was also a jump for the X3, though only to 74 units. The C Evolution is a motorcycle.

Hyundai

Hyundai is next and the Kona compact EUV is what is driving sales for them. There are 304 Kona vehicles registered. Hyundai announced that Ioniq will become its EV sub-brand, though the Kona is branded Hyundai.

Nissan

Nissan was one of the first entrants into the EV market with its BEV Leaf in 2010. It’s registration stats have been flat since 2019. As of today, the Leaf is still their only entry, though they have expanded the number of trim levels and improved the range. They are planning to launch an EUV model called the Ariya in 2022.

Honda

Honda is a major automaker that has been largely MIA in the EV space. A few years ago, they introduced the Clarity PHEV. Club members who own one have reported a good experience with it and the electric range is among the highest in the category at 47 miles. Due to Honda pulling back on distribution, the number of registered Claritys has been declining. A small increase this year offered some hope, but I read in the publication, EV Adoption, that Honda has canceled the Clarity PHEV and fuel cell models. Honda has announced a BEV EUV called the Prologue for a model year 2024 introduction, along with an Acura stablemate.

Volvo

Volvo has several EVS, mostly PHEVs plus the new BEV, XC40 Recharge. The company saw a spike from its XC90 PHEV to 227 units registered. This high-end, large SUV only gets 18 miles of electric range. The new XC40 Recharge is off to a slow start with 31 units. Volvo has announced an aggressive pivot to EVs with an all-electric lineup by 2030 and has moved EV sales to its online portal.

Porsche

Porsche has also been in the game for a while and is a leader among high-end automakers not named Tesla. Their newest introduction, the BEV Taycan sports car, had the biggest increase to 116 units.

Audi

Audi got into EVs with the A3 PHEV. It didn’t get traction, but the newer BEV E-Tron has been growing, now at 169 units, as well as to a lesser degree the Q5 PHEV compact EUV with 64 units.

Everyone Else

At this point, we start getting into some very small numbers, but I will mention a few others.

Chrysler, which has only one EV, the PHEV Pacifica minivan, rose to 214 units.

Jeep introduced its first EV, the PHEV Wrangler, which had a decent first year at 202 units.

New luxury carmaker Polestar (part of Geely, the owner of Volvo) has only 8 units for its Polestar 2 hatchback. (There were no Polestar 1 vehicles, an expensive, high performance PHEV.)

Mercedes has announced upcoming BEVs, the EQ series, with the EQS (like its S series), EQE (like its E series), and EQB, and electric EUV. The EQS is scheduled to arrive this year. The others will be 2022. Up to this point, Mercedes is another example of a major manufacturer that sells very few EVs. There are 8 models with registered units in the state with the highest being the GLC 350e at a measly 61 units.

Volkswagen, which has also announced aggressive targets for EVs, introduced the ID.4 in this country following a successful introduction of the smaller ID.3 in Europe. At this point, there are only 57 of these registered in CT, but it is still in a rollout phase.

Every screenshot here is taken from the Interactive EV Dashboard, July 2021 on the website. Using the slicers (checkboxes) enables drilldown to individual makes and models as I have done here.

July 1 EV Registration Data

Post by Barry Kresch

Overall Trends

Following an earlier blog post updating topline registration data, I have now been through the details and will cover them over the course of several more posts.

As earlier reported, total electric vehicle registrations now total 17,217. This represents an increase of 36% over July 2020.

Definitely an improvement, but we need more on a sustained basis. The glimmer of good news is that, not surprisingly, the bulk of the growth was recent. The last 6 months are growing at close to the pace we need. The chart below looks at semi-annual growth for the past 18 months.

Fuel Type

Below is the trend by fuel type from 2017 through July 2021. For those new to the lingo, BEV = battery electric vehicle, PHEV = Plug-in Hybrid EV, BEMC = battery electric motorcycles, FCEV = Fuel Cell EV. BEVs have continued to outpace the other major category, PHEV.

BEVs outpaced the field. I will get into more detail in a subsequent post, but the big difference-maker was the Model Y. PHEVs, having been flat pretty much since the demise of the Chevy Volt, rebounded this year on the strength of two Toyota models: Prius Prime and the new RAV4 Prime.

When I have discussed the information on this project with reporters over the years, the first thing they ask is how many fuel cell vehicles there are. There are 3, as there have been. These vehicles are not currently available to buy in the state.

Vehicle Body Type

A new field in the dataset this year is vehicle body type. An imponderable: Will I continue to receive it? The two pie charts below show the vehicles that were new to the file in first-half ’21 and all EVs as of July 1. So the vehicles in the first chart are included in the second and comprise about 25% of the total. With the Model Y and some other new models, the SUV percentage of the fleet is growing rapidly. 36% of the adds were SUVs, bringing the total file to 20%.

This probably understates how popular these vehicles are becoming. Keep in mind that this file is registrations and not sales. If I restrict the new vehicle chart to the most recent vehicles, MY 2021 and 2022, the SUV percentage goes to 44%.

All data in this post come from the Interactive EV Dashboard, July 2021