While it unsurprisingly ranks as the top state for EVs overall, the state with the fastest-growing EV adoption over the past five years isn’t California. Instead, it probably isn’t any of the states you’d guess it is; not New York, not Oregon, not even Vermont. It’s Oklahoma. And the margin at which it cinches this title isn’t close.
According to Yardi Matrix data, Oklahoma ranks first in EV registration growth over five years with an increase of 994%. For comparison, second- and third-place went to Montana and Arkansas at 487% and 454%, respectively. Digging into the data shows approximately 5,000 EVs registered in Oklahoma in 2020, which grew to 57,000 or so in 2024.
Oklahoma’s impressive EV adoption growth is unexpected even ignoring vibes. Officially, the state has no EV mandates and only offers “minimal” incentives — you can get tax credits of up to $5,500 for new “alternative fuel vehicles” with a GVWR less than 6,000 pounds or $9,000 if it’s up to 10,000 pounds — but that’s for stuff like propane, natural gas, and hydrogen. Gas in Oklahoma is relatively cheap, averaging $4 a gallon versus the $4.50 national average and the $6-plus in California. What’s more, Oklahoma ranks near the bottom when it comes to charging availability for renters; Colorado leads the charge there with 16.2% of all multifamily buildings equipped with chargers, compared to just 1.1% in Oklahoma. So what gives?
Electricity is cheap
Yardi Matrix attributes Oklahoma’s big EV growth to “cheap electricity, high multi-car household rates, and a consumer base that has decidedly made the switch.” For reference, the average OK resident spends $0.12 per kWh of electricity, 38% less than the $0.20 national average. And, of course, a higher propensity to own more than one car helps a lot — range anxiety is a much less pressing issue when you also have a regular gas car in the driveway for longer trips.
All that said, an important distinction is that Oklahoma came out on top in terms of EV registration growth (think of this as a statistical “Most Improved” award), whereas states in which EV ownership makes the most sense overall are still what you’d expect. California, Washington, and Colorado lead the pack there, with Cali alone accounting for 1 out of every 3 EVs in the U.S. Still, OK’s EV adoption growth is a surprising, remarkable achievement for a state that sits right on top of Texas, produces quite a lot of oil and gas, and isn’t anybody’s first, second, or 13th guess when someone outside of it pictures “Tesla country.”
