Should you buy an electric vehicle in NC? It depends on where you live, new study says

A new study says driving conditions for electric vehicles owners are improving in two areas of North Carolina, while one ranks among the least-friendly areas for EV drivers in the nation.

According to the study from iSeeCars, an automotive research site, America’s electric charging infrastructure grew by 23.9% over the last year, and the number of residents per charger fell by 18.9%.

North Carolina grew its EV infrastructure by 26.8% from 2022-23, with 2,490 residents per charger last year, down from 3,403 residents per charger the year prior, signaling that the market for EVs is growing.

However, if you drive an EV in North Carolina, opportunities to charge your vehicle may be limited, depending on where you live.

Here are the best and worst places for EV drivers in North Carolina.

Which NC cities are the best for EV drivers?

Two North Carolina cities — Charlotte and Raleigh — made the list of most improved metropolitan areas for EV infrastructure, coming in at No. 3 and No. 9, respectively, according to the study.

▪ The study found that there were 2,055 residents per EV charger in Charlotte in 2023, down from 3,055 the previous year.

▪ In Raleigh, there were 1,741 residents per EV charger in 2023, a 28% decrease from the previous year, the study says.

Which NC cities are the worst for EV drivers?

▪ The Greensboro area had 3,157 residents per EV charger in 2023, making it eighth-least EV-friendly city in the country, according to the study.

The study also found that Greensboro has the fourth-fewest number of EV charging stations (509) in the U.S., behind Louisville, Birmingham and Milwaukee.

Top 10 most EV-friendly places in the US

Here are the top 10 most EV-friendly places in the U.S., according to the study:

1. San Francisco, CA

2. San Diego, CA

3. Los Angeles, CA

4. Denver, CO

5. Boston, MA

6. Sacramento, CA

7. Kansas City, MO

8. Baltimore, MD

9. Fresno, CA

10. Seattle, WA

Top 10 least EV-friendly places

Here are the top 10 least EV-friendly places in the U.S., according to the study:

1. Milwaukee, WI

2. Birmingham, AL

3. Cleveland, OH

4. Louisville, KY

5. San Antonio, TX

6. St. Louis, MO

7. Indianapolis, IN

8. Greensboro, NC

9. Chicago, IL

10. Greenville, SC

Evan Moore

The Charlotte Observer

Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.