South Carolina electric vehicle sales, charging expand

Though the state remains in the middle to lower half of the country in EV use, electric vehicles are becoming more popular with Palmetto State drivers.

South Carolina ranks No. 34 in EV market share with over 2,500 EVs sold in the first quarter of 2025, according to a study from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. EVs represented 4.69% of new light-duty vehicle sales in Q1 2025 – down from 4.75% in Q4 2024 and up from 4.02% in Q1 2024.

EV market share in South Carolina was 4.91 percentage points below the national average of 9.6 percent.

Senate Bill 275, passed into law earlier this year, restricts electric utilities from using ratepayer funds to build, own and operate charging stations, aiming to alleviate a potential uneven playing field for small businesses.

Ryan McKinnon, the spokesperson for Charge Ahead Partnership, a group creating a network for EV charging, said the bill has put South Carolina in a good position for people to invest in the EV industry.

“It’s not like the bill passed and then there was this massive gold rush of folks trying to build, own and operate charging stations,” McKinnon said. “But it does create an environment that’s a lot more stable, it’s a lot more certain and it’s likely to attract a lot more investment.”

McKinnon said Florida is one of the states with the most EVs , so considering similarities in politics and climate along with the growing interest in welcoming EVs, he thinks South Carolina is poised to see a lot of growth.

South Carolina ranks No. 20 in the ratio of EVs to public chargers, with roughly 22 EVs to every public charging port, according to the study. The state had hovered around 25th place for charging infrastructure.

Though each state is slightly different, more of them are creating legislation that pivots the EV charging market away from the power companies and into the hands of the free market, McKinnon said.

McKinnon said most states adopting more EV accessibility are seeing it more as a business opportunity than a political statement.

“The gas stations, rest stops and convenience stores already have the land and already have people used to stopping there. It’s a business opportunity,” McKinnon said. “Most don’t care what you fuel up with, they just want to be able to provide that.”

A big concern is public perception about purchasing an EV, McKinnon said, with much of the national dialog influenced by political opinions and posturing.

“Sometimes it’s ‘We’re on the cusp of an EV revolution,’ and other times it’s ‘EVs are dying, oh no,’” McKinnon said. “The actual reality is that every year more people are buying EVs than the year before.”