Electric, hybrid vehicle registrations double in less than a decade

The number of registrations for electric and hybrid vehicles in Wisconsin more than doubled in less than a decade, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. 

In 2013 — the earliest year such figures are available — there were 44,178 registrations for electric cars and hybrids. But that had jumped to 102,492 by 2021. 

Even with the jump, they still account for just 2 percent of overall registrations, which are 

heavily concentrated in metro areas. 

Dane County leads the way at 389 per 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide mark. Ozaukee, Waukesha, Door and Bayfield counties are next, which WPF says suggests they’re more common in communities with higher per-capita incomes. 

The rise in such registrations presents two challenges, according to the report. One is building infrastructure to recharge electric vehicles. The bipartisan federal infrastructure law signed in November 2021 should help on that front, report authors note. 

The other is the impact on state transportation revenues. The state now adds $100 to the registration fee for electric vehicles and $75 for hybrids, which still cause wear and tear on the roads without making up for it through the fuel taxes other motorists pay.

This trend has been driven largely by hybrid vehicle registrations, with nearly 10 times as many as fully electric vehicles. But WPF found that electric vehicle registrations have been increasing at a faster pace. 

Hybrid vehicle registrations have risen 113.1 percent since 2013, with an average annual increase of 9.9 percent. The biggest annual increase since 2014 was seen in 2021, when hybrid vehicle registrations increased 13.7 percent to 93,453. 

By comparison, the total number of EV registrations is now 27 times larger than in 2013, when the state had just 319 registered, according to the report. That number was near 10,000 in 2021 after the number of EV registrations increased by 51.9 percent on average every year since 2013. 

But despite that growth, they still make up only 0.2 percent of the state’s 5.5 million total passenger vehicle registrations in the state in 2021. 

See the full report: 

https://www.wispolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/220923WisPolicy.pdf