Archived: Plug-in electric vehicles registered

Electric vehicles present one of the greatest opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Washington.

• By far, the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector come from the cars we drive everyday. Reducing emissions from gasoline-powered engines will be necessary to meet the state's greenhouse gas limits.
• Washington's electricity comes predominantly from hydro-power, one of the cleanest sources of electricity.
• Clean cars not only reduce emissions to the air, but electric-drives systems use fewer lubricants and fluids that can drip onto roadways and end up polluting water bodies, such as our rivers and Puget Sound.

Electric vehicles are very new to the marketplace but technology and the public are making great strides.

• In 2010, there were a handful of self-modified or test vehicles in the marketplace. By the end of 2015, there were over 16,529 registered electric or plug-in hybrids registered in Washington.
• Between January and December 2015, registrations of EVs increased 34%!
• More and more auto manufacturers are developing and marketing fully electric-drive vehicles and "plug-in hybrid" models (cars that principally use electricity but have another back-up mode to extend range).
• Electric vehicle choice for consumers is expanding and will continue to expand in coming years.
• Efforts to expand electric recharging infrastructure are on-going.

• Washington currently offers a sales and use tax credit to encourage the purchase of electric and plug-in electric vehicles.
• Washington participates in the West Coast Green Highway Initiative to increase the use of cleaner fuels along the 1,350 miles of Interstate 5 stretching through Washington, Oregon, and California.
• The Department of Transportation is implementing the state's EV Action Plan and is assuring that major highway corridors have electric re-charging infrastructure in place to assure motorists ample recharging opportunities along major routes.

• Investigate the different options in electric vehicle technology and evaluate your transportation needs. Could the current mileage range of an electric vehicle fulfill some or all of your trip requirements?
• When purchasing a new car, consider a high-mileage, electric or plug-in electric vehicle.