While it surprisingly ranks as the top state for EVs overall, California isn’t the fastest-growing state in EV adoption over the past five years. Instead, it’s probably none of the states you’d guess; Not New York, not Oregon, not even Vermont. This is oklahoma. And the margin by which it clinches this title is not close.
According to Yardi Matrix data, Oklahoma ranks first in EV registration growth over five years with a 994% increase. For comparison, Montana and Arkansas came in second and third with 487% and 454%, respectively. Digging into the data, there were about 5,000 EVs registered in Oklahoma in 2020, rising to 57,000 or more in 2024.
Oklahoma’s impressive EV adoption growth is unexpected, even ignoring sentiment. Officially, the state has no EV mandate and only offers “minimal” incentives — you can get a tax credit of up to $5,500 for new “alternative fuel vehicles” with a GVWR of less than 6,000 pounds or $9,000 if up to 10,000 pounds — but that’s for things like propane, natural gas, and hydrogen. Gas is relatively cheap in Oklahoma, averaging $4 per gallon, compared to the national average of $4.50 and more than $6 in California. Additionally, Oklahoma ranks near the bottom when it comes to charging availability for renters; Colorado leads the way with 16.2% of all multifamily buildings equipped with chargers, compared to only 1.1% in Oklahoma. So what does it give?
electricity is cheap
Yardi Matrix attributes Oklahoma’s big EV growth to “cheap electricity, high multi-car home rates and a consumer base that has definitely made the transition.” For context, the average OK resident spends $0.12 per kWh of electricity, which is 38% less than the national average of $0.20. And, of course, the high propensity to own more than one car helps a lot – range anxiety is a much less pressing issue when you have a regular gas car in the driveway for long trips.
All that said, one key difference is that Oklahoma came out on top in terms of EV registrations. Development (Think of it as a statistical “most improved” award), while the states where EV ownership makes the most sense overall are still about what you’d expect. California, Washington, and Colorado lead the pack, with Cali alone accounting for 1 in every 3 EVs in the U.S. Still, OK’s EV adoption growth is an astonishing, remarkable feat for a state that sits on top of Texas, produces copious amounts of oil and gas, and isn’t anyone’s first, second, or 13th guess when they picture “Tesla country” outside of it.
