Although falling gas prices threaten to delay a more widespread adoption of electric vehicles in the United States, at least in the short run, it seems that they are here to stay and their popularity is expected to grow sharply over the next few years, as public awareness of the negative environmental impact of conventional cars rises and as emissions standards get tougher and tougher. However, electric cars still make up only a small part of all new vehicle sales in the U.S. and they are not equally popular throughout the country, with some states providing better supporting infrastructure for EVs and better conditions that make owning an EV a truly viable alternative to owning a gasoline-powered car than others.

In general, states along the West Coast have more electric cars per capita than those situated on the East Coast, and the largest cities in states like California, Oregon, and Washington, among others, are usually the best places to have an electric car in the U.S. There are a few factors that make a city a good place to own and drive and electric cars, including the number of publicly available charging stations, favorable regulations, and incentives.

San Francisco and Los Angeles have been at the forefront of embracing electric vehicles, with an excellent EV infrastructure and a high level of awareness of electric vehicles among the general public. San Francisco has over 100 charging stations, and the most EV drivers per capita, even more than Los Angeles, which in turn has the highest number of total EV owners at over 17,000. Los Angeles, for its part, has nearly 200 EV charging stations, and like San Francisco, the popularity of electric cars is largely due to California’s commitment to promote them by offering various incentives to EV owners, that include rebates that reduce the purchase price, and access to HOV lanes. What’s more, San Francisco has established a $5 million fund which will provide credits of up to $2,000 for a home-based charging station, to bring the cost of home chargers down.

Outside California, Portland and Seattle are two of the most EV-friendly cities. The largest city in Oregon has 11 charging stations per 100,000 residents, and the State Department of Energy offers a $750 tax credit towards the purchase and installation of a home EV charger. A large part of the 1,700 charging stations in Washington state are located in Seattle, a city that has lowest electricity rates in the country, which makes it a great place to own an electric car. Also, electric vehicles in Washington are exempt from the state sales tax, which is set at 6.5 percent, and there are tax exemptions for charging stations, as well.

To sum up, many cities across the United States are trying to upgrade their infrastructure to support electric vehicles, with local regulations and consumer willingness to embrace alternative fuel vehicles being the key factors for creating a convenient environment for EV owners.