Sales of electrified vehicles are surging in rural America. Toyota and Panasonic lead in solid-state battery patents. And EV interest is up tremendously, even before considering gas prices. This and more, here at Green Car Reports. 

Even before this spring’s spike in gas prices—now at $4.72, on a national average according to AAA—Consumer Reports found far greater determination from shoppers in making their next vehicle an EV. Although the 71% that are interested in an EV closely aligns with a similar survey in 2020, it noted 14% said they would “definitely” buy or lease an EV in 2022—versus just 4% in 2020. 

Toyota and Panasonic are in the lead position in solid-state battery patents, according to Nikkei. Although that’s no strong indication of how far a company is in bringing the tech to production, it’s a good way to judge research and development activity on the tech—which Toyota has been working on since the 1990s.

And according to an analysis aggregating millions of used-car sales, the strongest growth of electrified vehicles has been in rural America. Looking from 2014 to 2022, demand for hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs is growing faster in areas well outside the urban and suburban coastal areas usually seen as early adopter hubs.

_______________________________________

Follow Green Car Reports on Facebook and Twitter