Oregon鈥檚 electric vehicle sales got a boost in 2021 and with more tax credits and fast chargers on the way, officials say they expect the trend to continue.
According to, a national data firm that tracks EV sales, Oregon was No. 2 in the nation in 2021, behind California, for the share of new vehicles sold that are electric. Oregon is currently tied for the No. 2 spot in 2022 with Hawaii and Washington.
Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Matt Noble said that as of September, there are in the state, with an average of 1,000 added EV registrations per month in 2022. That number, he said, is not specifically tied to new vehicles sold. A resident could have purchased their EV in another state and registered it in Oregon.
鈥淭he 2023 outlook is looking strong,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat tells us that each month we should see growth in that number, which then translates into an accelerated adoption rate for people choosing an EV as their next vehicle.鈥�
Oregon鈥檚 transportation sector of the state鈥檚 total greenhouse gas emissions, the largest single source, and the race to reduce those emissions has taken off along the West Coast.
Recently, and adopted rules requiring car manufacturers to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles available for sale starting in 2035. That would end the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered vehicles that year. Oregon also has two electric vehicle rebates 鈥�, which combined could total up to $7,500 for a new electric vehicle depending on a buyer鈥檚 income.
Rachel Sakata, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality鈥檚 senior air quality planner, said the rebate program began in 2018 and has since issued more than, making Oregon one of the top EV sales locations in the country.
鈥淲e are going to continue to see robust participation,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have a very generous electric vehicle rebate for folks. Then there鈥檚 also the federal tax credit that鈥檚 going to be available for anyone who purchases certain types of electric vehicles.鈥�
The federal Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law last year, is set to in clean energy and climate action. It offers households many incentives, including federal tax credits of up to $7,500 for a new electric vehicle or $4,000 for a used one. Qualified Oregonians could get up to.
Sakata said she expects more residents to continue adopting electric vehicles as they become more available.
鈥淲e may even be at risk of running out of funding because so many people are taking advantage of it, which I joke that it鈥檚 a good problem to have because that means more and more people are transitioning from their gasoline vehicles to a cleaner vehicle,鈥� she said.
Sakata said DEQ is also working on an education and outreach campaign in low- and moderate-income communities, rural communities and communities of color to increase awareness and access to the rebates, and to answer questions residents may have about owning an EV.
Barriers like affordability, demand and access to charging stations have created aA 2021 report from the Oregon Department of Energy showed
These communities also lack access to EV charging stations, Noble said. But with ODOT to build more fast charging stations along the state鈥檚 major roadways, Noble expects that change.
鈥淎bout $35 million of that will go to closing those charging gaps in multi-family homes, rural areas and underserved communities to fill in the gaps that the private sector has seen less investment in,鈥� he said.
There are currently in Oregon. These high-power chargers can fill an EV to near capacity in about 20 minutes. Noble said the number of those chargers could double with the Infrastructure Act funding.
鈥淲e will be aggressively pursuing those grants as well so we can have as much funding to work with so we can really meet Oregon鈥檚 needs,鈥� he said.
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