Electric light vehicle electricity consumption in the United States reached 14 billion kilowatt-hours in the first half of 2026, representing an 8 percent increase compared to the second half of 2025 (2H25). This growth has significantly decreased compared to the rates of 13 to 24 percent observed in recent years.
Reasons for the Decrease in Growth
The decrease in electricity consumption growth for electric vehicles has occurred following a drop in sales of these vehicles. The federal tax credit in the United States, which ended in September 2025, has had a significant impact on electric vehicle sales. In the first half of 2026, sales of new electric vehicles faced a 19 percent decline compared to the second half of 2025.
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Impact on the Electric Vehicle Market
However, despite the decrease in sales, electricity consumption for electric vehicles has more than doubled compared to 2023. In 2024, electric vehicles accounted for only 2 percent of all registered light vehicles in the United States. This indicates that while electricity consumption for electric vehicles is increasing, sales of these vehicles have not yet reached a significant level.
Electric vehicles include battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles that can utilize the power grid. Additionally, internal combustion and conventional hybrid vehicles, which are not connected to the power grid, are not included in these statistics.
New models of clean vehicle purchase credits and clean commercial vehicle purchase credits, which reduced the costs of purchasing and leasing new electric vehicles, ended on September 30, 2025. These factors have contributed to the decline in electric vehicle sales in 2026.
The statistics on electricity consumption for electric vehicles are estimated for light-duty vehicles in motion weighing less than 8,500 pounds. This data has been obtained through new models that have recently been finalized and built based on external data sources. In the future, this data will continue in monthly energy reports and state energy data systems.
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