BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – While EV sales are surging in Vermont, gas sales remain relatively untouched.
According to Drive Electric Vermont, the number of EVs in the state increased by 49% from July 2023 to this summer. However, gas sales aren’t taking the hit you might expect.
If you bought gas in Vermont this, year Matt Cota tracked your purchase. He’s a fuel consultant keeping a close watch on annual gas sales and how they fluctuate.
“The way gasoline sales are tracking now, we’re pretty close to the six-year average,” said Cota.
That data is from Cota’s Vermont Motor Fuel Index based on Vermont DMV numbers. It’s not a good sign for Vermont’s push for carbon emission cuts and more EVs on the road.
While more Vermonters are opting for EVs, they only made up 11.6% of the state’s new light-duty vehicle sales in the first half of 2024.
“The big picture in terms of cars on the road in Vermont with green plates is a small minority of cars are battery electric. The vast majority use gasoline,’ said Cota.
Several state and federal incentives can help with EV costs, but one UVM expert points out that many Vermonters keep their cars for years or opt for cheaper, used gas cars.
“It will still take a long time to completely replace all the gasoline fuel vehicles,” said Greg Rowngould of UVM.
To encourage Vermonters to make the switch, the state adopted a requirement that 100% of new passenger vehicles sold in Vermont must be zero emission by 2035.
But that progress hangs in the balance as President-elect Donald Trump vows to repeal EPA regulations pushing car manufacturers to phase out gas vehicles.
“These are largely local companies that sell national brands, but the manufacturers that provide the vehicles to them, that they provide to their customers is being dictated back and forth between California and Washington, DC. It’s a bit unnerving, to say the least,” said Cota.
Vermont’s facing pressure from car dealerships too. A year ago, we told you about nine local dealerships that signed onto a national letter fighting federal EV requirements, saying there’s not enough EV demand to phase out gas car sales.
We’ll continue to follow this story as Trump enters office.