Political Ideology and US Electric Vehicle Adoption

Lucas W. Davis, Jing Li and Katalin Springel

Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, 2026, vol. 13, issue 5, 1337 - 1351

Abstract: The prospect for electric vehicles (EVs) as a climate change solution hinges on their widespread adoption across political lines. This study uses county-level data to show that from 2012 to 2023 about half of all new EV registrations in the United States went to the 10% most Democratic counties, and about one-third went to the top 5%. This correlation is largely stable over time and remains after controlling for household income, gasoline prices, and other observables. EV trucks are a small share of the EV market but show a lower correlation than other EV types. We also conducted a survey, finding little difference in the ability of Democrats and Republicans to answer questions about EVs.

Date: 2026
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