In January 2019, there were 7,573 EVs registered in North Carolina.  As of May 2023, there were 48,383 EVs registered in North Carolina. Simple math shows that North Carolinians register an average of 785 EVs per month.

As more and more manufacturers switch to EVs and the cost to purchase EVs decreases due to market pressures, North Carolina will continue to see rapid growth in EV registrations.

North Carolina’s transportation revenue model has not kept pace with this emerging trend. Here’s what we mean: For decades, much of the state’s transportation funding has been generated by fuel taxes. Most people agreed this was a fair system – the more people drove, or the more wear and tear their cars put on our roads and bridges, the more they paid fuel taxes to help repair and maintain those roads and bridges. But now, with so many drivers choosing electric vehicles, EV owners aren’t paying their fair share for using the same transportation system as gas-powered vehicles.

Note: North Carolina’s Gas Tax is $0.405 per gallon. The Federal Gas Tax is $0.184 per gallon. North Carolinian’s pay a total of $0.589. An EV owner does not pay any gas tax.

The NC Moves Coalition regularly conducts public opinion surveys asking “likely general election” voters’ opinions on transportation funding issues and potential solutions.

“North Carolina drivers fund state roads and other infrastructure through a combination of gas taxes and other fees, which helps ensure the people who use roads the most pay more for road maintenance and upkeep. Electric vehicle owners do not pay a gas tax but are instead charged an annual registration fee of $140 per vehicle. An analysis of data indicates that electric vehicle owners pay $50 less than the comparable average driver that pays the gas tax.

Would you support or oppose an increase to the electric vehicle registration fee so that it is even with average driver fees?”

North Carolinians strongly support increasing vehicle registration fees for electric vehicles.

The strong support for increasing vehicle registration fees for electric vehicles is across all parties.

This map shows the number of registered Electric Vehicles by county. The more orange the color, the more registered EVs. Scroll over a county to see the actual number registered.