Washington electric and plug-in vehicle sales increased in 2023 [Video]

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Electric and plug-in vehicle sales accounted for 19 percent of Washington purchases last year, a six percent increase from 2022.

State and national benchmarks for electric vehicle (EV) sales are part of a broader framework of regulations intended to address the climate emergency.

According to the United Nations Environment Program, international leaders have not sufficiently decreased greenhouse gas emissions to prevent wide-spread environmental and economic consequences.

“Every fraction of additional warming above 1.5°C will bring worsening impacts, threatening lives, food sources, livelihoods and economies worldwide,” the program reports.

One way that governments are attempting to decrease emissions is encouraging EV sales. The Biden Administration has set an ambitious goal of making 50 percent of car sales electric by 2030.

On the state level, all new passenger vehicles in Washington will be required to produce zero emissions by 2035.

While tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act and tax credits for plug-in and electric sales have contributed to increased sales, the national charging infrastructure is still lagging behind gas station accessibility,making …