Cleveland EV registration rates lag behind peer cities
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Electric vehicles are gaining popularity nationwide but have yet to spark much interest in Cleveland.
Driving the news: EV registration rates in Cleveland were dead last among 28 Axios Local cities in January 2023, per data analyzed by Axios' Joann Muller.
By the numbers: EVs accounted for only 2.2% of new vehicle registrations in the Cleveland-Akron metro area, up marginally from 1.9% in January last year.
- Through 2022, monthly registration rates ranged from 1.3% to 2.6%.
Meanwhile, other cities saw significant upticks, with the most pronounced growth on the West Coast.
- Seattle's registration rate climbed from 8.4% to 17.2%; Portland's from 5.5% to 13.1%; and San Francisco's from 26.7% to 32.9% — all from January 2022 to January 2023.
Yes, but: Even in the Midwest, where EV adoption rates lagged behind the coasts, peer cities leapfrogged Cleveland.
- Columbus (3.7%), Detroit (4%) and Indianapolis (3.1%) all had higher rates in January.
- Chicago was a regional outlier at 7.6%.
Zoom out: EVs are gaining popularity as a cleaner alternative to gasoline-powered cars, but obstacles like limited charging access and high prices are still preventing many buyers from going electric.
- Concerns about cold Midwest weather affecting battery performance might also be a factor — a challenge Axios' Mueller faced in Ohio during an early March road trip from Florida to Michigan.
Zoom in: In Cleveland, Mayor Justin Bibb touted a new free EV charging station at Frederick Douglass Recreation Center in Lee-Harvard in December, as part of a push to install EV infrastructure in historically underserved areas.
- Three more stations, funded by an Ohio EPA grant and additional federal funds, will be installed at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the West Side Market and City Hall.
Reality check: Axios visited the Lee-Harvard station yesterday. A rec center employee told us that since its installation, they could count on one hand the number of drivers they've seen using it.