Since my last blog in October, leadership in Washington D.C. is changing and one thing is certain: public funding delivered through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is creating EV jobs across the U.S. and inspiring on-going private sector investment.

We’ve had three U.S. presidents since the first modern electric vehicle (EV) came to market in 2010. Regardless of who sat in the Oval Office, EVs continued to make huge strides in availability, affordability, range and market share across the globe. And the charging infrastructure to support the growing number of EVs on the road continues to expand exponentially. And EV sales are growing in blue, red and purple states because EVs are for everyone. Life-long, self-described “petrol heads” agree.

With falling EV prices, a strong used EV market, more incentives and rebates available than ever before, and better affordability overall, there is an EV for everyone. Recent data conducted by Probolsky Research, in partnership with Veloz reveals that nearly 80% of current EV drivers in California plan to purchase another EV for their next car, refuting a survey in the headlines that said most EV owners would choose to go back to a gas car. Another national survey found that almost 90% of EV owners said they are “likely” or “very likely” to purchase an EV as their next car.

Contrary to some media headlines, the electrical grid as it exists today is prepared to handle the electric vehicles (EVs) currently plugging in and, as EV sales continue to increase, electric utilities are already planning improvements to accommodate millions more of them. While industry and policy leaders are making preparations to welcome new EV drivers to the road, utilities are identifying new technology solutions that allow EVs to benefit the grid — from cost reductions for all utility customers to reliability improvements to climate pollution reduction.