Pasco County leads Tampa Bay in EV use
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Pasco County saw an estimated 352 electric vehicle miles driven per 1,000 residents on a typical weekday in the second quarter of 2023 — the most miles of any county in Tampa Bay.
- Manatee and Sarasota counties had the second- and third-most electric vehicle miles driven in the region during the same period.
The big picture: Much of the country's electric vehicle use is concentrated in the "four corners" of California, the Pacific Northwest, the Northeast and the Southeast, Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.
- The areas with the most EV activity are generally those with better-developed charging infrastructure, as well as higher-income households that can more easily afford the electric car premium.
How it works: The data — from the mobility analytics platform Replica — is based on anonymized mobile device info, roadside sensors, transit agencies and more.
Zoom in: Pasco and Manatee are the only Tampa Bay counties to crack the top ten in Florida for electric vehicle use — clocking in at 7th and 8th, respectively.
- Sarasota County, with 312 electric vehicle miles driven per 1,000 residents, stands at 11th place in the state ranking. Hillsborough, the most populous county in Tampa Bay, ranks 12th with 293 electric vehicle miles.
- Pinellas, meanwhile, ranked 24th in Florida with 206 EV miles. Polk, Hernando and Citrus ranked on the lower end of the scale.
The intrigue: Electric car sales are booming but remain short of automakers' hopes and dreams as some potential buyers are skeptical about their range, performance and cost.
- Several major automakers, including Ford, General Motors and others, are recalibrating their electric car ambitions after lower-than-expected sales.
- Meanwhile, car dealers complain about unsold EVs piling up on their lots.
Yes, but: Used EV prices are dropping fast.
- That's bad news for early adopters who hoped to skirt the law of depreciation but a win for those looking to go electric on a tighter budget.
The bottom line: The story this map ultimately tells: The electric car revolution is happening — it's just unevenly distributed.