Plug-in electric vehicles in Washington (state) explained

, there were about 92,000 electric vehicles registered in the U.S. state of Washington.[1], 7.8% of new vehicle sales in Washington were electric.[2]

In 2021, Washington was ranked by Bumper.com as the best state in the country for electric vehicle ownership.[3]

Government policy

In April 2021, the state legislature passed a bill requiring all new cars sold by 2030 to be electric; however, it was vetoed by Governor Jay Inslee.[4] The legislature passed another bill again in March 2022, which was signed into law by Inslee, which sets an official target of 2030 for the phase-out of gasoline-powered vehicles, but does not explicitly ban their sale after that date.[5] [6] [7]

In December 2021, Governor Inslee proposed a $7,500 state tax rebate for electric vehicle purchases; however, the rebate failed in the state legislature.[8] [9]

By region

Counties in Washington by number of electric vehicles ! County! EVs
Adams35
Asotin42
Benton1,141
Chelan555
Clallam648
Clark5,309
Columbia8
Cowlitz477
Douglas180
Ferry19
Franklin295
Garfield3
Grant250
Grays Harbor378
Island1,100
Jefferson597
King47,918
Kitsap3,297
Kittitas295
Klickitat140
Lewis404
Lincoln25
Mason466
Okanogan119
Pacific131
Pend Oreille26
Pierce6,965
San Juan623
Skagit1,086
Skamania107
Snohomish9,878
Spokane2,250
Stevens105
Thurston3,450
Wahkiakum28
Walla Walla256
Whatcom2,437
Whitman138
Yakima505

Seattle

, 11.7% of new vehicle sales in King County were electric.[2]

In June 2021, Pierce County passed an ordinance requiring all new homes built from January 2022 to have dedicated parking spaces for electric vehicle charging.[10]

Spokane

In 2021, the Spokane Police Department purchased its first electric vehicles, with a plan of transitioning the department's fleet to electric by 2030; however, the new vehicles were met with significant pushback from officers, and subsequently withdrawn from the flet.[11] [12]

In March 2022, Spokane introduced a surcharge on gasoline and diesel used by city vehicles. The city plants to convert its entire fleet to electric by 2030.[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Electric Vehicle Population Data. data.wa.gov. 2022-03-21.
  2. News: Electric vehicles have surged in Washington state. But gas cars still dominate. KUOW. 2022-03-18. 2022-03-21. John. Ryan.
  3. News: Utah is the second best state to own an electric vehicle. 2021-09-01. Parker. Malatesta. TownLift. 2022-04-13.
  4. News: Washington State bans gas cars by 2030 – the earliest in the US. 2021-04-15. 2022-03-21. Jameson. Dow. Electrek.
  5. News: Washington Takes Another Stab at Banning Gas Cars. 2022-03-18. 2022-03-21. Jay. Ramey. Autoweek.
  6. News: Washington State Enacts 2030 Target For Fossil Fuel Phaseout. 2022-04-09. 2022-04-11. EVANNEX. Charles. Morris.
  7. News: More roads, more EVs. Can Washington do it?: Today So Far. KUOW. Dyer. Oxley. 2022-04-06. 2022-04-11.
  8. News: Gov. Inslee's $7,500 electric car rebate remains uncertain in WA Legislature. 2022-02-14. 2022-03-21. Hal. Bernton. The Seattle Times.
  9. News: Washington State Legislature Fails to Pass $7,500 EV Rebates. 2022-03-11. 2022-03-21. Nicholas. Turner. Governing.
  10. News: Local Governments Take Innovative Approaches To Prepare For Electric Vehicles. MRSC. 2022-03-17. 2022-03-25. Leah. LaCivita.
  11. News: Spokane police react negatively to Tesla cruisers. KREM. 2022-02-28. 2022-03-25. Ian. Smay.
  12. News: Tesla Police Cruiser fleet rejected by department despite numerous success stories. Joey. Klender. 2022-03-01. 2022-03-25. Telsarati.
  13. News: Spokane adds fuel surcharge on city fleet to aid climate change fight. The Center Square. RaeLynn. Ricarte. 2022-03-03. 2022-03-25.