2026 “Transportation Electrification in the Southeast” Report: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Electric vehicles keep gaining ground in the Southeast, even as federal support for them shrinks. A new regional report finds the six-state area (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee) passed 1 million cumulative EV sales this year, with new EV purchases up 25% over the past 12 months. Used EVs are also becoming a bigger option: about 228,000 leased EVs have come off lease and hit the resale market, with another million expected in the next year and a half, pushing used EV sales up 34%. That could matter if you're considering an EV yourself, since a growing used market often means more choices at lower prices.

Charging is expanding too. The region added roughly 133 new public charging stations a month, and fast chargers along highways (the kind used for road trips) grew 28%. Florida and Georgia have the most fast chargers per person. Utilities are also investing more in EV-related programs, up 14% over the past year, though they still lag the national average per customer.

Not everything is up. Manufacturing investment and job growth in EV and battery plants dipped for the first time in seven years, even though the Southeast still leads the country in both categories. The report ties this to federal policy swings, including the September 2025 expiration of federal tax credits for new and used EVs, which pulled sales forward and then caused a slowdown afterward. None of this changes what's available to homeowners directly, but it helps explain why EV prices, charger availability, and incentive programs may keep shifting depending on where you live and what your state and utility offer.