Maine Scores #9 in Plug-in America’s List of Top 25 States Friendly to EVs

Maine has been ranked #9 in the country in Plug-In America’s recent report Top 25 States Supporting the EV Driver. The report ranks states based on policies that support electric vehicle (EV) drivers in four categories: before purchase during their decision-making process, after purchase, expansion of EV charging infrastructure, and education and marketing activities.

Maine received notable recognition for its policies to support EV purchases and EV drivers during ownership, earning strong scores for EV Purchase Incentives, EV Charging Incentives, and Access to EVs, among others. Efficiency Maine offers instant rebates of $2,000 for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and $1,000 for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) at 57 participating dealerships in Maine, as well as enhanced rebates for government entities, tribal governments, select nonprofits, and qualified low-income customers. As part of the program, Maine car dealers agree to stock qualifying EV models, helping to ensure that customers have access to a variety of EV choices. Maine is also a member of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program, which helps funnel more makes and models of EVs into the state for purchase.

To support EV drivers on the road, Efficiency Maine has awarded approximately $2 million in grants to help install public chargers in nearly 50 locations throughout the state, including nearly 150 Level 2 plugs (or “Community Chargers”) and 14 fast charger plugs. When these grants are combined with the projects that Maine businesses and municipalities have installed on their own, there are 126 DC Fast Chargers and more than 350 public chargers in Maine. Efficiency Maine will continue these initiatives to invest in charging infrastructure to support the state’s EV transition.

These programs are contributing to broader goals recently set by the Maine Climate Council, which in its recent report Maine Can’t Wait: A Four-Year Plan for Climate Action, set targets to achieve emissions-reduction goals by putting 41,000 light-duty EVs on the road in Maine by 2025 and nearly 220,000 by 2030. With dozens of new makes and models of EVs set to come out this year, the EV market is poised for rapidly growing from the “early adopter” phase towards mass market transformation. As more varieties of EVs hit the market at lower prices, Maine’s bold policies and programs will continue to support current and future EV drivers into the future of electric transportation.

Efficiency Maine is proud to support current and future drivers of EVs as the global transition to electric transportation accelerates. Click here to learn why more and more Maine drivers are making the switch to electric.