Report: Number of EVs in operation reaches new high, charging infrastructure still lacking

As of Q2 2025, there were 6.5 million electric vehicles (EVs) on U.S. roads, or 2.25% of vehicles in operation, which is a new high, and a total of 217,929 public charging outlets — a ratio of 30 EVs for every public port, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation’s “Get Connected Electric Vehicle Report Q2 2025”.

EVs represented 9.5% of new light-duty vehicle sales in the quarter, down by 9,000 units from 9.6% in Q1, and from 10.9% in Q4 2024.

The report summarizes EV sales and purchasing trends across all 50 states, breaking down light-duty market share by powertrain (2016-2025) in addition to a geographic distribution analysis of registered EVs, state-by-state charging infrastructure, and a look at EV battery recycling.

The report notes that federal EV policies have shifted since 2024, including the elimination of consumer EV tax credits after Sept. 30, 2025. The report is based on data trends that occurred just before the tax incentive elimination was signed into law at the beginning of Q3.

“Since then, national sales data have shown a noticeable uptick as consumers rush to purchase EVs while the credit is still available,” the report states. “Nevertheless, EVs remain an important part of the U.S. market, both in response to consumer demand and in the larger picture of U.S. global competitiveness.”

EV market share declined by 0.5 percentage points from Q2 2024 to Q2 2025; however, EV volume increased by 4%, or 29,000 units.

The internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle market share declined 4.2 percentage points.

According to the report, as of Q2, 155 EV, utility vehicle, pickup truck, and van models were sold in the U.S.:

• • Ninety-five battery electric vehicles — 26 cars, 52 utility vehicles, seven pickups, and 10 vans
  • Fifty-seven plug-in hybrid vehicles — 24 cars, 32 utility vehicles, and one van
  • Three fuel cell electric vehicles (including a plug-in hybrid fuel cell) — one car and two utility vehicles

Light truck sales represented 79% of the Q2 EV market, unchanged from Q1 2025. California (22.9%) and Colorado (20.5%) led the country for EV registrations.

Nine states and the District of Columbia had EV registrations above 10% in Q2 2025:

• • District of Columbia (17.4%)
  • Washington (16.9%)
  • Nevada (16.2%)
  • Oregon (13.8%)
  • New Jersey (12.8%)
  • Florida (10.5%)
  • Hawaii (10.2%)
  • Connecticut (10.1%)
  • Massachusetts (10.1%)
  • Michigan (10.1%)

U.S. EV registrations stood at 385,075 in Q2 — a 0.3% volume decrease, or about 2,000 units, compared to Q2 2024.

Year-over-year, total light-duty sales (all powertrains) increased 5%, or about 194,000 units. Hybrid EV market share increased by 4.7 percentage points, while ICE vehicle market share contracted by 4.2 percentage points, the report says.

Nearly 761,000 EVs were sold in the first half of 2025, making up 9.55% of all light vehicle sales, and a decreased market share of 0.1 percentage point from the first half of 2024.

Through Q2 2025, the number of publicly available EV chargers increased 12% from 2024, while total EVs on the road also increased 12%.

During the quarter, 9,424 new public chargers were added — a ratio of 41 new EVs for every new public port, the report says.

More than 1 million additional public chargers (906,670 L2 and 124,401 DC Fast) are required to meet the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s necessary infrastructure estimate for 2030, according to the report. That breaks down to 513 chargers installed per day, or nearly 3.6 chargers every 10 minutes, through the end of 2030.

“A circular economy for EV batteries — focused on recycling, reusing, and repurposing — offers a path to strengthen supply chains, improve affordability, and ensure sustainable growth,” the report states. “More than 80% of global recycling capacity is in China, compared with less than 2% in the U.S.”

China is forecast to account for 78% of battery pretreatment capacity and 89% of black mass refining capacity, as the demand for lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite is projected to continue surging, according to the report.

In the next decade, it’s projected that more than 100 million vehicle batteries will reach end-of-life, which the report says will create “a massive pool of recoverable material.”

“Recycling and reuse could cut primary mineral demand by 12% by 2040,” the report states. “By 2040, recovered materials could supply more than half of the global demand for these critical minerals.”

Cost savings are estimated to reach as much as $25 billion annually.

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Featured image credit: vm/iStock

Graphics provided by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation