Michigan’s EV push stalls: 82,000 of 2 million goal

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s electric vehicle revolution is 4.12% of the way toward its goal.

In 2021, Whitmer promised an electric future for Michigan and sought tax breaks toward that end.

“As the auto industry zooms toward an electric future, we need to lower the up-front cost,” the governor posted on social media. “In my budget, I proposed cutting the sales tax on EVs, saving families up to $2,400. Getting this done will get more Michiganders behind the wheel of their first electric vehicle.”

Republican and Democratic lawmakers spiked the $25 million proposed subsidy, however. In her most recent State of the State address, Whitmer made a turn from her previous stance by saying, “We don’t care what you drive” as long as it comes from Michigan.

Whitmer has set a goal of seeing 2 million EVs driving on Michigan roads by 2030, along with 1 million chargers in place. In May 2025, there were 82,484 EVs and 17,767 plug-in hybrids registered statewide, according to a document obtained from the Michigan Department of State through a records request.

Scott McClallen_05.27.2025_FOIA Response (1) by mcclallen on Scribd

Michigan is 1.91 million registered EVs away from reaching Whitmer’s goal. For each of the next 55 months, 35,819 Michiganders would have to buy an EV for the state to reach that goal.

Michigan has a few thousand vehicle chargers. The state’s climate plan says it needs more than 96,000 more.

Scott McClallen

Whitmer ordered the state fleet to transition to electric by 2045. Of the state’s 14,482 vehicles, 30 are electric, Michigan Capitol Confidential reported in February.

The story is similar nationwide with only 16% of U.S. adults being “very likely” or “likely” to purchase a fully electric vehicle as their next car, according to a new survey from AAA. The share of consumers indicating they would be unlikely or very unlikely to purchase an EV rose from 51% in the previous survey to 63%, the highest since 2022.

“Since we began tracking interest in fully electric vehicles, we’ve seen some variability,” said Greg Brannon, AAA director of automotive engineering, as quoted by a press release announcing the survey. “While the automotive industry is committed to long-term electrification and providing a diverse range of models, underlying consumer hesitation remains.”

Several reasons keep people out of the driver’s seat of an EV: high battery repair costs (cited by 62% of those surveyed), purchase price (59%), range anxiety (57%), sparse charging stations (56%) and other safety concerns.

Of those who are undecided or unlikely to purchase an EV, 31% cited safety concerns, 27% reported challenges installing charging stations at their residences, and 12% cited the potential reduction or elimination of tax credits and rebates. Medium-sized EV sedans as well as electric powered compact SUVs cost more to own and operate on a per-mile basis than their gas-powered or hybrid counterparts, according to AAA’s 2024 Your Driving Costs. EV pickup trucks cost less to own and operate than gas-powered or hybrid pickups, it said.

The survey of drivers was conducted March 6-10, 2025, using a probability-based panel designed represent the U.S. population. The panel provides sample coverage of approximately 97% of the U.S. household population. Most surveys were completed online; consumers without internet access were surveyed over the phone.​

A total of 1,128 interviews were completed among U.S. adults 18 years of age or older. The margin of error for the study is +/- 4% at the 95% confidence level.