By the end of 2024, the global electric vehicle (EV) count reached an estimated 58 million. In the U.S., 2024 electric car sales increased to 1.6 million, with the sales share growing more than 10%. However, this marked a dramatic decline in momentum compared to the 40% increase in U.S. EV sales documented in 2023. This decline is further reflected in BloombergNEF’s Electric Vehicles Outlook long- and short-term U.S. EV adoption projections due to recent federal policy shifts threatening EV adoption and infrastructure access. Under New York State law, all new light-duty passenger vehicles must be zero-emission by 2035, with all medium- and heavy-duty passenger vehicles following suit by 2045. However, there are significant barriers to reaching these goals due to charging and grid infrastructure shortfalls, exacerbated by federal rollbacks.
One of the initial executive orders issued by the Trump administration this January focused on pressuring the Department of Transportation to freeze the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. NEVI is a $5 billion item in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, geared towards supporting the implementation of high-powered EV charging stations all along U.S. highways. This February, The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), on behalf of the administration, stopped funding for NEVI with an issuance of a memorandum. This unconstitutional freeze is still pending a final decision, however, a federal judge issued a preliminary ruling in June ordering the administration to restore NEVI funding and release about $1 billion for 14 of the Plaintiff States. This preliminary injunction restored about $120 million in NEVI funds for New York, amounting to around 70% of the initial funding allocated. The NEVI Program has served as one of the major pathways to EV adoption and expanded EV charging access in New York State, making this funding restoration critical to New York’s clean transportation future.
Despite federal uncertainty, New York has displayed local and state-level leadership in increasing EV charging infrastructure and access through local programs such as Charge Ready NY 2.0 and the EV Make-Ready Program. Charge Ready NY 2.0 provides incentives of up to $3,000 to install Level 2 EV charging stations within workplaces, multifamily properties, hotels, and up to $4,000 incentives within disadvantaged communities. Moreover, New York’s Public Service Commission oversees the EV Make-Ready Program, funding up to 100% of the infrastructural costs associated with new non-residential EV charging stations. This state-level progress is encouraging, but there remain gaps that must be addressed going forward.
One of the most pressing challenges when it comes to EV infrastructure is accessibility, both geographically and economically. This infrastructure is disproportionately concentrated in wealthier and urban areas, which leaves many low-income and rural communities without access. In a 2022 study published in The Electricity Journal, researchers found that the density of EV chargers is not correlated with population density in New York City and instead, the distribution of EV charging stations in the city is significantly skewed against low-income, Black-identifying, and disinvested neighborhoods. While local EV incentive programs have made efforts to allocate additional funding to disadvantaged communities, there remains much progress to be seen going forward to address this imbalance further. Rural residents often face accessibility issues as well, with charging stations often spread many miles apart or entirely absent, making EV adoption inconvenient for these residents. While the NEVI Program aims to address this, more localized deployment strategies are needed to close this gap.
Ultimately, New York’s strong EV adoption policies and local programs position the state well to continue to make progress despite recent federal uncertainty. However, New York must push forward with actionable and aggressive legislation to stay on track with its 2035 and 2045 EV adoption targets and CLCPA goals. Local leaders must be proactive in protecting state-level initiatives from federal threats while also pushing for more accessible local infrastructure projects.
Annelise Fisher, an undergraduate summer intern at the New York League of Conservation Voters, is a rising senior at Harvard University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Environmental Science & Public Policy.