EV registrations in Arkansas jump 69% from 2023
The number of fully electric vehicles in Arkansas is accelerating. Through the first half of 2024, the number of EVs registered in the state is up 69.4% from last year. Hybrid-electric vehicle registrations rose by 29.9%.
Scott Hardin, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, said the state agency has registered 6,895 electric and 41,652 hybrids as of June 30. Registrations through the first half of this year are up from 4,069 electric and 32,068 hybrid vehicles registered in Arkansas at the end of 2023.
“The max growth of EV adoption for Arkansas drivers in any previous year was 67%,” said Lauren Waldrip, executive director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association. “Based on mid-year numbers, we’ve already surpassed that and are on track for a 140% increase in 2024.
“The adoption of EVs is projected to add over 1 million megawatt-hours to the state’s annual electricity demand by 2042, representing 1.54% of Arkansas’ annual energy production,” she added. “It’s important to recognize the implications of this trend, which not only reflects consumer demand for more economical vehicles but also highlights the urgent need for robust, forward-thinking energy infrastructure. Despite the intentions of the Biden administration, adoption of EVs will not occur overnight but will be gradual, giving utilities time to expand, upgrade and transform the grid to accommodate the new demand while continuing to provide affordable and reliable power. This proactive approach will not only support the increasing number of EVs but also position our state to capitalize on new economic opportunities.”
At a recent electric cooperatives conference, Buddy Hasten, president and CEO of Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. and Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc., discussed rising load growth because of EVs.
He said EVs use about 18.3 terawatt-hours of electricity in the United States. By 2030, that’s expected to rise to 131 terawatt-hours. For context, the United States used about 4,000 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2023.
Following are Arkansas EV and hybrid registration numbers in previous years.
2023: 4,069 electric; 32,068 hybrid
2022: 2,997 electric; 27,441 hybrid
2021: 2,094 electric; 22,818 hybrid
2020: 1,303 electric; 18,242 hybrid
2019: 781 electric; 13,861 hybrid
According to May data from the U.S. Department of Energy, 3.29 million EVs are registered in the United States. California has the most EVs, with 1.17 million registrations. Florida is second with 231,518. Rounding out the top five states are Texas with 210,433, Washington with 141,055 and New Jersey with 125,317. North Dakota and Wyoming had the least, with 876 and 1,080, respectively.