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Electric vehicles sharply increased in popularity over the past decade, and while 2.7% of all registered vehicles in the state are classified as EVs, some parts of Connecticut are more likely to drive electric — especially in Fairfield County.

As of December 2024, there were 60,489 EVs — defined as all-electric, plug-in hybrid, range-extended EV or fuel cell vehicles — registered in Connecticut, according to EV Connecticut, a 2,481% increase since 2014.

Fairfield County is home to the top two towns for EV ownership — Weston and Westport — with 10.1% and 10.4% percent of registered vehicles classified as EVs.

Teslas account for 35.4% of all EVs registered in Connecticut as of Dec. 31, 2024, according to EV Connecticut. Other manufacturers don’t even come close; Toyota takes second but accounts for only 9.5% of all registered EVs statewide. 

As the state continues to encourage residents in the market for a car to buy electric, President Donald Trump’s proposed spending bill could cut federal EV tax credits completely. The bill proposes annual federal registration fees on electric and hybrid vehicles to go towards highway and road maintenance.

The state offers credit on qualifying EVs under the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate, falling somewhere between $750 to $1,500, depending on the type of vehicle. This program is part of the state’s commitment to clean air goals, and for “creating cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable communities,” according to the EV Connecticut dashboard.

And to make EV purchases more equitable, the state offers an additional credit program called Rebate+. Qualification for the program is determined by either income level, participation in federal assistance programs or location of residence. 

So with Rebate+ and CHEAPR, those in the market for an EV who qualify can receive up to $4,500 from the state.

The cheapest model from Tesla, the most popular EV manufacturer in both the state and the nation, costs over $40,000.  

Sasha is a data reporting fellow with The Connecticut Mirror. She graduated from the University of Maryland in May with a degree in journalism and a minor in creative writing. For the past year Sasha was working part time for the Herald-Mail, a newspaper based in Western Maryland. She was also a reporter and copy editor for Capital News Service, the university’s wire service where she covered the state legislature, the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, school board elections, youth mental health and climate change. Earlier in her college career, Sasha also interned at the Baltimore Magazine and wrote for numerous student publications including the Diamondback, the university’s independent, student-run newspaper.