President Joe Biden wants electric vehicles to account for 50 percent of new car sales by 2030. But to meet that target he may have to sell the cars to a skeptical demographic: Donald Trump and rural voters.
More than 76 percent of EV sales last year were in states Biden carried in the 2020 presidential election, according to data registration from IHS Markit and compiled by Bloomberg.
That’s largely because of an enormous urban-rural divide in electric vehicle adoption, driven by fewer consumer choices, fewer chargers and fewer state financial incentives.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says that EV sales in rural areas -- where former president Trump is most popular -- are a key part of the administration’s strategy to speed adoption and reduce emissions. The administration will soon roll out a rural electric vehicle strategy, he said.
“The Americans who stand to benefit most from EVs are those who drive the most, often rural drivers -- so we’re working to increase charging availability across the country,” he tweeted last month. And rural areas tend to have more single-family homes where it’s easier to plug a vehicle in at night.