U.S. Ranks 20th In The World In EV Adoption, Study Finds

Editor's note:  Study and data table provided by The Barber Law Firm.

Depending on whether you are a fan of electric cars or not, this will be either really good or really bad news.

The U.S. lags behind the world when it comes to EV adoption, according to a new study conducted by a Dallas-based law firm. The study finds that Norway leads global EV adoption - where EVs represent 93% of all new car sales- followed by Denmark and Iceland. Here are some of the study's key findings:

Key Findings:

• Norway dominates global electric vehicle adoption with a leading score of 83.79. EVs represent 93% of all new car sales, supported by 191 charging points placed per 1,000 square miles and a 4.07 vehicle-to-charger ratio.
  
• Denmark and Iceland ranked at second and third place with scores of 82.76 and 82.10 respectively, with Denmark featuring 1,038 charging points per 1,000 square miles and Iceland achieving 71% EV sales.
  
• The United States ranks 20th globally with an EV adoption score of 37.21, featuring 52 charging points per 1,000 square miles, 9.5% of new car sales being electric vehicles, and a 7.60 EV to charging port ratio—metrics that position it significantly behind European and Asian leaders in the electric mobility transition.
  
• Norway's 93% EV sales rate is nearly ten times higher than America's 9.5%, while the Netherlands maintains 215 times more charging infrastructure with 11,199 charging points per 1,000 square miles compared to the US, which has 52.
  
• The U.S.  lags behind these European leaders across all three critical metrics analyzed in the study: charging infrastructure density, percentage of EV sales, and the ratio of EVs to charging stations.

The Barber Law Firm, a Dallas-based personal injury law firm, says its legal team conducted a comprehensive analysis of EV adoption factors across 50 countries worldwide, using data from The International Energy Agency (IEA) to analyze which countries dominate the electric vehicle industry. 

Top 10 Global EV Adoption Leaders:

Table data provided by The Barber Law Firm.

Kris Barber, Founder and Principal Attorney of The Barber Law Firm, shares:

“What amazes me is how far ahead countries like Norway and the Netherlands have pulled in the EV race. While Norway has reached 93% EV sales and the Netherlands has built more than 11,000 charging points per 1,000 square miles, the United States is falling behind in all our measured key metrics. This isn't about environmentalism—it's about competitiveness in the future economy of the auto industry.

With 1.4 million new electric vehicle registrations in 2023—a 40% increase from the previous year—we're seeing concerning safety trends in our legal practice. New EV owners are three times more likely to be involved in accidents, partly due to unfamiliarity with instant accelerations. As personal injury attorneys, we're advocating for better driver education alongside infrastructure development.

The figures are clear as day: electric car uptake occurs best through the trifecta of charging infrastructure with depth, sales incentives that stimulate consumer buying, and thoughtful ratio planning of electric cars to charging points. These nations at the top of our list have harmonized all three factors, making conditions for electric vehicles practical and even preferable to conventionals. Technologically, America has the capability to do so, but lacks the collaborative mindset present throughout the European nations.

In the years to come, policymakers and corporate leaders need to realize that half measures will not fill this void. Our work shows that nations taking bold, end-to-end commitments to electrification are making strides at breakneck speed. Without blanket investment in charging infrastructure and additional consumer incentives, the US will be left increasingly on its own in a global automotive market that is solidly shifting electric.”