Electrifying the Vehicle Market

The report analyzes the US electric vehicle (EV) market as of 2016, finding that while cumulative sales were nearing 500,000, progress among automakers is uneven. BMW, General Motors, Nissan, and Tesla are identified as leaders, while Honda, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler are characterized as laggards. A significant disparity in vehicle availability exists between California and the rest of the US, largely attributed to California's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program. The authors argue that limited model availability and poor dealership inventory outside California hinder the national transition to electric transportation.

• Cumulative electric vehicle (EV) sales in the United States were on track to reach 500,000 by the end of 2016, with global sales exceeding one million in the five years since they became available.
• BMW is the leading traditional automaker in the US based on the proportion of its total sales that are EVs, with a national rate of 3.3% and a California rate of 7.1%.
• General Motors and Nissan are identified as early leaders in the market; the Chevrolet Volt is the top-selling plug-in hybrid EV and the Nissan LEAF is the top-selling battery EV since 2010.
• Several major automakers are categorized as laggards: Honda currently offers no plug-in EVs in the US; Toyota has discontinued the Prius Plug-in and currently has no plug-in EV for sale; and Fiat Chrysler offers its only EV, the Fiat 500e, only in California and Oregon.
• The US EV market is highly concentrated, with only six models accounting for 79% of all sales to date, and the top three models representing 57%.
• California has significantly higher EV availability and sales than other states, offering 22 different EV models in 2015, whereas no other state had more than 14.
• The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program in California and nine other states (Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Maine, Connecticut, Maryland, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts) is a critical driver for automaker EV deployment.
• EV availability at dealerships is severely limited outside California; for example, Boston-area dealers had an average of just over 300 listings, compared to over 3,000 near Los Angeles during the first half of 2016.
• Tesla is a unique market leader that produces only EVs and utilizes a direct-sales model, bypassing traditional dealership availability constraints.

APA

Reichmuth, D., & Anair, D. (2016). Electrifying the Vehicle Market. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/08/Electrifying-Vehicle-Market-full-report.pdf

Chicago

Reichmuth, David, and Don Anair. Electrifying the Vehicle Market. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2016. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/08/Electrifying-Vehicle-Market-full-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Reichmuth |first1=David |last2=Anair |first2=Don |title=Electrifying the Vehicle Market |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=August 2016 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/08/Electrifying-Vehicle-Market-full-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reichmuth2016electrifying, author = {Reichmuth, David and Anair, Don}, title = {{Electrifying the Vehicle Market}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2016}, month = aug, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/08/Electrifying-Vehicle-Market-full-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }