All Access

All-Access Weekly Digest

Standard

Tampa Bay

Picture of the Tampa Bay skyline with TPA written across it.

blue

Axios Tampa Bay Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

A guide to fun things to do in Tampa Bay this weekend.

Axios Tampa Bay Weekender

Weekender

Get smarter, faster about what’s happening in your backyard with local reporter Selene San Felice.

Axios Tampa Bay

Axios Tampa Bay Deep Dive

Deep Dive

Tampa Members

Membership

Whats Next

Axios What's Next

Data: S&P Global Mobility; Chart: Axios Visuals

Electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for 4.8% of monthly new vehicle registrations in the Tampa Bay area in January 2023 — up from 1.5% in January 2022, Axios' Joann Muller reports.

Tesla Model Y and Chevrolet Bolt were the most popular, followed by the Tesla Model 3, Ford F Series and Volkswagen ID.4.

Why it matters: EVs aren't just for early adopters anymore.

With a broader selection and some signs of moderating prices, mainstream car buyers are increasingly turning their EV curiosity into purchases.

Zoom out: Nationally, EVs accounted for 7% of new vehicle registrations in January, up from 4.1% in January 2022.

The growth is another sign that the EV transition is gaining momentum.

Of note: While the EV pie is growing, Tesla's nationwide market share continues to shrink — from 72% in January 2022 to 54% a year later — as rivals introduce new models.

Axios has been tracking the historic shift away from gasoline using vehicle registration data from S&P Global Mobility.

In 2022, electric vehicles made up 5.6% of all new U.S. car registrations.

That's up from 3.1% in 2021 and 1.8% in 2020, but still way behind China and Europe.

Reality check: Less than 1% of the 279 million cars and light trucks on American roads are electric.

It will take a couple of decades for the slow transition from gasoline to electric vehicles to be complete.

Driving the news: Existing consumer tax credits for EV purchases are being reworked — again — in part to bolster U.S. manufacturing and reduce reliance on China.

Changes to the existing $7,500 tax credit will likely affect the pace of adoption.

The U.S. Treasury Department on March 31 spelled out how new sourcing requirements for battery components and critical minerals under the Inflation Reduction Act will be implemented — rules that affect which vehicles will qualify for tax credits moving forward.

A list of qualifying vehicles was released last week, and fewer of today's EVs meet the new standards.

The intrigue: Anyone racing to snag the $7,500 tax break before the rules get stricter is likely to find EVs in short supply.

Inventories are tight because of ongoing supply chain issues and a price war triggered by Tesla price cuts in January.

The bottom line: EV-curious consumers have more choices than ever.

There were 47 electric models available for sale in the U.S. at the end of January, up from 33 the prior year.

Electric vehicle registrations are ticking up in Tampa Bay

EVs aren't just for early adopters anymore.

Electric vehicles

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Electric vehicles (EVs)" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/energy-environment/electric-vehicles" data-vars-content-id="00210a0e-758b-4478-a533-3e2a5fac92bf" data-vars-headline="Electric vehicle registrations are ticking up in Tampa Bay" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/energy-environment/electric-vehicles" target="_self">Electric vehicles (EVs)</a> accounted for 4.8% of monthly new vehicle registrations in the Tampa Bay area in January 2023 — up from 1.5% in January 2022, Axios&#x27; Joann Muller reports.<ul><li>Tesla Model Y and Chevrolet Bolt were the most popular, followed by the Tesla Model 3, Ford F Series and Volkswagen ID.4.</li></ul>

Transit

Axios Tampa Bay, anchored by Ben Montgomery and Selene San Felice, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.

Florida is second in the nation in electric vehicle ownership, but trails far behind California, where nearly 40% of the nation's EVs are registered.

Yes, but: Unlike California, Florida offers EV buyers no state incentives, making its high adoption rate all the more remarkable.

But, but, but:  We're a long way from a "tipping point" for electric vehicle adoption in the U.S., Axios' Joann Muller reports.

In fact, America's EV revolution has barely begun and it's playing out in super-slow motion.

Why it matters: Automakers are pouring billions of dollars into electric vehicle development in the face of urgent warnings about climate change. 

Yes, but: EVs account for only about 0.6% of all registered vehicles in the U.S. overall, according to an Axios analysis of monthly vehicle registration data from S&P Global Mobility.

With more than 278 million cars, SUVs, and pickups on U.S. roads, the historic shift away from gasoline will take years — if not decades — to play out.

The latest data: 4.6% of the new vehicles registered in the U.S. this past May were electric, according to the research firm's most recent data.

That's more than double EVs' share of monthly registrations in May 2021 (1.9%).

By the numbers: As of April 1, Florida has the second-highest share of the country's EVs at 6.7%. Then comes Texas (5.4%), Washington (4.4%), and New York (3.6%).

Florida among leading states in EV adoption

We're a long way from a "tipping point" for electric vehicle adoption in the U.S., Axios' Joann Muller reports.

Illustration of an EV charger cord forming the outline of the continental US.

Florida

Florida is second in the nation in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="electric vehicle ownership" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/energy-environment/electric-vehicles" data-vars-content-id="486b7b97-7508-444c-a64b-784f36049512" data-vars-headline="Florida among leading states in EV adoption" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/energy-environment/electric-vehicles" target="_self">electric vehicle ownership</a>, but trails far behind California, where nearly 40% of the nation&#x27;s EVs are registered.Yes, but: Unlike California, Florida offers EV buyers no state incentives, making its high adoption rate all the more remarkable.But, but, but: We&#x27;re a long way from a &quot;tipping point&quot; for electric vehicle adoption in the U.S., <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Joann Muller reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/01/states-ev-electric-cars" data-vars-content-id="486b7b97-7508-444c-a64b-784f36049512" data-vars-headline="Florida among leading states in EV adoption" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/01/states-ev-electric-cars" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Joann Muller reports</a>.

News

Four of the 10 most-registered vehicles in Tampa Bay are pickup trucks — vehicles that have been supersized and redesigned for comfort in recent decades, a far cry from the utilitarian and economical machines of previous years.

Driving the news: In the 1980s, about half of pickup trucks were categorized as small or midsize. But by the 2010s, small pickups had nearly vanished.

In a new special project, Axios' Will Chase, Jared Whalen and Joann Muller examined the past 50 years of societal and lifestyle changes behind pickups' ever-increasing size.

Why it matters: As trucks transitioned from farm and ranch workhorses to lifestyle vehicles, their design shifted accordingly: Cabs expanded to accommodate more passengers, while beds shrank.

Yet, pedestrian and road safety advocates say today's massive trucks are a hazard, given their size, weight, and driver blind spots.

One result of supersized trucks: greater risks to pedestrians and other drivers. 

Drivers of today's trucks sit much higher, creating a blind spot where small children or wheelchair users are hidden from view.

Moreover, pickups' weight increased by 32% between 1990 and 2021, meaning they strike pedestrians with more force. 

Plus, the tall front of a truck strikes pedestrians in the torso or head — increasing risk of critical injuries  — whereas the lower hoods of cars typically strike pedestrians in the legs.

Zoom in: According to data from S&P Global Mobility, Tampa Bay's bestseller is Ford's F Series, a prime example of how trucks have grown.

The first F-150s were 36% cab and 64% bed by length.

By 2021, the ratio flipped, with 63% cab and 37% bed, as trucks were being used more for carrying people than lumber, rubble or bags of concrete.

Nearly half of Tampa Bay's most-registered vehicles are pickup trucks

Pedestrian and road safety advocates say today's massive trucks are a hazard, given their size, weight, and driver blind spots.

Transportation

Four of the 10 most-registered vehicles in Tampa Bay are pickup trucks — vehicles that have been supersized and redesigned for comfort in recent decades, a far cry from the utilitarian and economical machines of previous years.Driving the news: In the 1980s, about half of pickup trucks were categorized as small or midsize. But by the 2010s, small pickups had nearly vanished.

Joann Muller

Featured stories

Electric vehicle registrations are ticking up in Tampa Bay

Nearly half of Tampa Bay's most-registered vehicles are pickup trucks

Florida among leading states in EV adoption