CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Electric vehicle (EV) sales are hitting the fast lane in North Carolina. 

What You Need To Know

  • The number of registered EVs in the state grew a little over 50% in 2022

  • With more electric vehicles on the road, the demand for public charging is increasing

  • North Carolina is using $109 million in federal funds to install EV stations every 50 miles along interstates and frequently traveled highways

The number of registered EVs in the state grew a little over 50% in 2022, according to NCDOT data. 

Brent Young and his wife own Teslas. 

“We use a high-powered wall connector for our Teslas, charge it, and wake up every morning with a full tank,” Young said.

You might say going electric runs in the family. Young’s two children own Chevy Bolts. 

“For $20,000, they could get into an electric vehicle, and I didn’t have to change the oil,” Young said. “And they were allowed to charge here at the house, so it saved them on gas.”

The Youngs are part of a growing trend of Carolina drivers who are ditching gas-powered cars for electric vehicles. 

With more electric vehicles on the road, the demand for public charging is increasing. 

“Just in the two years we’ve owned EVs, we’ve seen a large increase in the Tesla chargers,” Young said. “I will say the other charging networks, though, have suffered, and we’ve actually lost some.” 

A new study by research website ISeeCars ranks North Carolina 25th in EV Friendly States. Currently, there’s one public charger for every 3,398 residents. 

Tesla’s supercharging network is bigger than other EV networks. It’s why Young has a lot more options to stop and charge than his kids do, which is why they mostly charge at home. 

“EVs in general you charge at home,” Young said. “The number one reason people stop being an EV owner and go back to gas is because they didn’t arrange home charging.”

To meet demand, North Carolina is using $109 million in federal funds to install EV stations every 50 miles along interstates and frequently traveled highways.

Young thinks that’s a great start, but he also wants to see a greater emphasis on home charging.

“If anyone is building an apartment complex, they need to be putting in dozens of EV charging stations,” Young said. “Because that encourages EV ownership, and it’s not going away.”

Tesla recently announced it’s opening a portion of its charging network for non-Tesla drivers soon. 

Meanwhile, people can get a $7,500 federal tax credit for buying a new electric vehicle, or $4,000 for a used one. There are also tax credits available for companies that invest in EV charging stations.