Study: Kentucky is the toughest state to own an EV in

LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Despite efforts to improve Kentucky’s EV infrastructure, a new study said Kentucky is still behind the curve.

The LendingTree study, released on Monday, looked at charging ports, laws and incentives, adoption rates, and registration changes.

According to the study, Kentucky has the worst overall electric vehicle infrastructure and appeared among the worst states in three key areas: charging ports, laws and incentives, and adoption rates.

• 3rd lowest EV charging port rate at 2.4 per 10,000 vehicles. (The U.S. average is 7.0.)
• Ties for the 8th lowest for laws and incentives such as tax credits at 0.5 per 100,000 vehicles (national rate of 0.9)
• 9th lowest EV adoption rate at 2.1% (national rate of 4.3%)

LendingTree auto insurance expert and licensed insurance agent Rob Bhatt said poor infrastructure is primarily due to political alignments.

“We generally see more EV infrastructure and higher adoption rates in areas with greater environmental concerns,” Bhatt says. “It starts with voters choosing leaders who support eco-friendly policies like EV incentives and developing EV infrastructure. We just haven’t seen widespread interest in these issues from voters or policymakers in places like Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi.”

States with the worst EV infrastructure

States with the worst EV infrastructure

Most states with the best EV infrastructure are clustered in the northeast, with Vermont, DC, and Massachusetts taking the top three spots.

A study from iSeeCars in March also named Kentucky among the least EV-friendly states in the country, just behind Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alaska, in residents per charger at 5,520.

“The good news for EV fans is that most cities and states continue to invest in their electric vehicle charging networks,” said Brauer. “Even more encouraging is that several of the weakest cities and states for EV charging are also growing their infrastructure the fastest. If this trend continues we should see more consistent charging options for EV owners, regardless of where they live or how far they travel in their electric vehicles,” Karl Brauer, iSeeCars executive analyst, said.