Colorado Has the Best Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, With a High Rate of Charging Ports, Plenty of Laws and Incentives, and More

While electric vehicles (EVs) may have once seemed impractical, the technology to operate them is quickly evolving. And depending on where you live, electric may be a better choice.

The latest LendingTree study determined the states with the best electric vehicle infrastructure by calculating the rate of charging ports, laws and incentives, and the adoption rate (and how it’s changed).

In addition to exploring our findings, stick around for tips on what to consider when going electric, including auto insurance costs.

Key findings

• Colorado has the best electric vehicle infrastructure. It finishes in the top 10 in three of four categories evaluated (rate of charging ports, electric car laws and incentives, and adoption rate) and no lower than 14th overall. New York and Massachusetts follow in second and third, respectively. The states with the worst electric vehicle infrastructure are South Dakota, Kentucky and North Dakota.
• The District of Columbia leads with 33.2 public electric vehicle charging ports per 10,000 drivers. In a distant second, Vermont has 15.8 charging ports per 10,000 drivers. Only two other states have a rate above 10.0: Massachusetts (12.8) and California (12.1). Conversely, Mississippi has just 1.5 charging ports per 10,000 drivers, followed by Louisiana at 1.7 — the only states below 2.0.
• California has 269 electric vehicle laws and incentives — the most of any state. The next highest state — and the only other above 100 — is Colorado, at 102. Meanwhile, Nebraska (15) has the fewest laws and incentives, with North Dakota and Kansas close behind at 16 each.
• The District of Columbia has the highest electric vehicle adoption rate (the number of electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicle registrations divided by the number of light-duty vehicle registrations) at 8.2%. California (7.7%) and Washington (6.0%) follow. Mississippi and North Dakota tie for the lowest adoption rate, at 1.0% each. Between 2021 and 2022, the electric vehicle adoption rate grew 24.9% across the U.S., with Oklahoma (37.7%), New Jersey (35.5%) and Nevada (34.1%) seeing the largest jumps.
• Since 2012, only 13 states have experienced an increase in carbon dioxide emissions. Idaho (29.7%) saw the largest jump — more than 20 percentage points higher than the next highest state, Washington (8.7%). Nationally, carbon dioxide emissions fell 6.1% from 2012 to 2021.

Best electric vehicle infrastructure is in Colorado

Across the four categories analyzed to determine the state with the best electric vehicle infrastructure, Colorado ranks in the top 10 in three, finishing 14th in the other. More specifically, Colorado ranks:

• Second in electric car laws and incentives, with 102
• Sixth in the rate of charging ports (9.4 public charging ports per 10,000 drivers)
• Ninth in adoption rate (4.0% of light-duty vehicle registrations are for electric vehicles)
• 14th in the percentage change in the adoption rate from 2021 to 2022 (27.0% increase)

Colorado has been an early adopter of electric vehicles. In 2013, the state started the Charge Ahead Colorado grant program to encourage the installation of electric vehicle charging stations. Additionally, in a 2018 plan, Colorado set a goal to have 940,000 EVs on the road by 2030.

3 states with the best vehicle infrastructure

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center data. Note: The percentage change in the electric vehicle adoption rate is half-weighted, while the other data is fully weighted.

Following Colorado, New York ranks second. Breaking it down further, New York finishes:

• Third in electric car laws and incentives, with 94
• Fifth in the rate of charging ports (9.5 public charging ports per 10,000 drivers)
• 11th in the percentage change in the adoption rate from 2021 to 2022 (27.8% increase)
• 12th in adoption rate (3.6% of total light-duty vehicle registrations are for electric vehicles)

Massachusetts is third with the following rankings:

• Third in the rate of charging ports (12.8 public charging ports per 10,000 drivers)
• Fifth in electric car laws and incentives, with 90
• Seventh in adoption rate (4.4% of total light-duty vehicle registrations are for electric vehicles)
• 25th in the percentage change in the adoption rate from 2021 to 2022 (24.6% increase)

Notably, New York became the second state (behind California) to set a zero-emissions goal for vehicles by 2035. Meanwhile, Massachusetts set a 2050 zero-emissions goal.

Full rankings

Electric vehicle infrastructure by state

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center data. Notes: The percentage change in the electric vehicle adoption rate is half-weighted, while the other data is fully weighted. The U.S. laws and incentives tally includes federal laws.

Does electric vehicle infrastructure impact auto insurance rates?

Not necessarily, LendingTree auto insurance expert and licensed insurance agent Rob Bhatt says.

“Electric vehicle infrastructure has less impact on insurance rates than a particular vehicle’s crash rates and repair costs,” he says. “Electric vehicles generally have lower crash rates than gas-powered vehicles, but there are exceptions. About a decade ago, electric vehicles were considerably more expensive to repair or replace after an accident than gas-powered vehicles, making them more expensive to insure. Since then, the costs of fixing or replacing EVs has come down, and the price of insuring them is coming down to levels comparable to rates for gas cars.”

However, car insurance rates have risen dramatically over the past few years for other reasons. Still, Bhatt says there are signs that rates are now stabilizing.

There are 33.2 public EV charging ports per 10,000 drivers in District of Columbia

Breaking down our infrastructure data points by category, the District of Columbia ranks first for public electric vehicle charging ports per 10,000 drivers at 33.2 — more than double the next state.

Laws and regulations may play a role here. The district requires new construction and renovation of commercial buildings or multiunit dwellings with on-site parking to reserve at least 20% of parking spaces for electric vehicle-charging infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Vermont has 15.8 charging outlets per 10,000 drivers — a distant second. Massachusetts (12.8) and California (12.1) are the only other states with more than 10.0 public outlets per 10,000 drivers.

3 states with the highest rate of electric vehicle charging ports

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center data. Note: The data is as of Feb. 20, 2024.

Comparatively, Mississippi has just 1.5 charging outlets per 10,000 drivers — the lowest across the U.S. Louisiana follows it at 1.7, the only other state below 2.0.

Full rankings

Highest rate of electric vehicle charging ports, by state

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center data. Note: The data is as of Feb. 20, 2024.

California has most electric vehicle laws and incentives

As for the states with the most electric vehicle laws and initiatives, California ranks first, with 269.

The state’s ambitious zero-emissions initiative likely plays a role here. In California, 35% of new cars sold should be plug-in hybrid electric, electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells by 2026, rising to 68% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. That makes it one of the most ambitious zero-emissions initiatives in the country.

The next highest state is Colorado, with 102 laws and incentives — the only other with at least 100. New York (94) rounds out the top three. While California and New York are among the top two most populous states, Colorado falls in the middle — making its high number of laws and incentives particularly impressive.

3 states with the most electric vehicle laws and incentives

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center data. Note: The data is as of Feb. 20, 2024.

Conversely, Nebraska (15) has the fewest laws and incentives. Meanwhile, North Dakota and Kansas follow, at 16 each. Unlike the top-ranking states, those at the bottom have some of the lowest populations by state.

Full rankings

Electric vehicle laws and incentives, by state

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center data. Notes: The U.S. laws and incentives tally includes federal laws. The data is as of Feb. 20, 2024.

District of Columbia has highest electric vehicle adoption rate

When calculating the highest electric vehicle adoption rate (the total number of electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicle registrations divided by total light-duty vehicle registrations), the District of Columbia ranks first at 8.2%. Notably, the district allows new electric vehicles to be registered for a reduced fee of $36 for the first two years of registration.

D.C. is followed by California (7.7%) and Washington (6.0%).

3 states with the highest electric vehicle adoption rates

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center data.

Meanwhile, Mississippi and North Dakota tie for the lowest adoption rate, at 1.0% each.

As far as how that’s changed, the adoption rate grew just under a quarter (24.9%) in the U.S. between 2021 and 2022. Oklahoma saw the most growth by state, with the rate jumping 37.7% from 1.3% to 1.8%. New Jersey (35.5%) and Nevada (34.1%) saw the next largest increases.

States with the highest increases in electric vehicle adoption rates, 2021 to 2022

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center data.

Comparatively, the District of Columbia (18.8%) saw the least growth during this period, followed by Wisconsin (19.4%) and Kansas and Iowa (tied at 19.6%).

Full rankings

Electric vehicle adoption rates, by state

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center data.

% change in electric vehicle adoption rate by state

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center data.

As electric vehicles become more popular, only 13 states have seen carbon dioxide emissions rise

Because electric vehicles are considered better for the environment, it may not be surprising that only 13 states have experienced an increase in their carbon dioxide emissions since 2012.

There are some emissions concerns related to electric vehicles — for example, if the electricity that charges an EV comes from fossil fuels, it’ll produce carbon dioxide. However, even in areas where electricity is primarily generated by coal, driving electric is still one-third less polluting than driving a gasoline-powered car, according to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

By state, Idaho (29.7%) saw the biggest increase in carbon dioxide emissions between 2012 and 2021. That’s more than 20 percentage points higher than the next highest state, Washington (8.7%). Idaho’s low electric vehicle adoption rate (2.4%) likely plays a role here. Additionally, about 25% of Idaho’s electricity generation is fueled by natural gas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which may also contribute to carbon dioxide emissions — even among electric vehicle drivers.

States with biggest % change in carbon dioxide emissions

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) carbon dioxide emissions data.

Conversely, Kentucky saw the biggest decrease in emissions at 20.8%, followed by Wyoming (18.1%) and Oklahoma (16.1%).

Nationally, carbon dioxide emissions fell 6.1% from 2012 to 2021.

Full rankings

% change in carbon dioxide emissions, by state

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) carbon dioxide emissions data.

Considering switching to electric? Top considerations

While infrastructure doesn’t affect your insurance rates, it’s worth considering your area’s electric vehicle infrastructure before purchasing an electric car to minimize pain points. Bhatt recommends the following:

• Be aware that changing adoption rates and innovations will affect insurance rates. “Since the crash rates and repair costs for electric vehicles are still evolving, how insurance companies insure them is likely to also continue to evolve,” he says.
• Weigh the costs and benefits of switching from gas. “While ditching gas is undeniably cheaper, it may take extra effort to recharge your car,” Bhatt says. “This is almost a cultural shift. We’re so used to refilling our fuel tanks at the closest gas station that we rarely think about it, other than when our tank gets low in a remote area.”
• Be aware of electric vehicle depreciation rates. “These cars tend to depreciate quicker than gas cars for a couple of reasons,” he says. “One is the concern over battery life. Also, price reductions for new electric vehicles have lowered the resale prices of older electric vehicles. If your car is totaled, the insurance company only has to pay you its market, or resale, value, which may be considerably less than what you paid.”

Methodology

LendingTree researchers analyzed U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center data to create electric vehicle infrastructure rankings by state, utilizing a composite scoring system.

Categories evaluated included:

• The amount of electric vehicle charging ports per 10,000 drivers in each state (as of Feb. 20, 2024)
• The amount of government laws and incentives in each state related to electric vehicles (as of Feb. 20, 2024)
• The electric vehicle adoption rate in each state (as of 2022)
• The percentage change in the electric vehicle adoption rate in each state from 2021 to 2022

The states were ranked individually in each category, and these rankings were added to create a composite score.

To determine the number of electric vehicle charging ports per 10,000 drivers, a state’s number of charging ports was divided by the state’s number of light-duty vehicle registrations. The result was then multiplied by 10,000.

The number of electric vehicle laws and incentives was calculated by adding the total in each state across four electric vehicle categories:

• Electric
• Plug-in hybrid
• Hybrid
• Neighborhood

To determine adoption rates, we added a state’s electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid electric vehicle registrations and divided them by the state’s total light-duty vehicle registration count. We did the same for 2021 and 2022, and then calculated the percentage change between the two.

Separately, researchers evaluated changes in carbon dioxide emissions (measured in million metric tons) between 2012 and 2021, via the U.S. Energy Information Administration.