Electric vehicle registrations on Long Island hit record numbers last year

They may be facing a bumpy road in the future, but the number of newly registered electric vehicles soared on Long Island last year as buyers flocked to discounts and took advantage of an expiring federal tax credit.

By the end of December, there were a record 87,304 electric vehicles registered on Long Island, a 23% jump from the prior year, more than any other region in the state. By comparison, New York City ended the year with 79,773, according to the figures.

Most of the new registrations, according to advocacy group Drive Electric Long Island, which analyzes state data, occurred in September, with 2,772 new battery-only electric vehicles and 655 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles registered.

September marked the end of a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 on new electric vehicles, part of a broader attack on green energy by President Donald Trump's administration and its "Big Beautiful" spending bill. In all, Long Island dealers sought 14,234 rebates for the vehicles last year, with the bulk — 77% — for battery EVs and 23% for plug-in hybrids.

The big question is whether EV sales can continue their decade of growth now that the tax credit has gone away and other programs sunset such as the Clean Pass program, which allowed single EV drivers into high-occupancy vehicle lanes.

Results in the last three months of 2025 showed a marked decline. In October, new EV registrations dropped to 1,085. By December, the figure rose only slightly, to 1,452. The figures represent EVs registered in New York for the first time and may include used EVs from other states, for instance.

"We’re seeing lower numbers, but we’re not seeing a cliff," said Rosemary Mascali, chairwoman of Drive Electric Long Island’s education and outreach program. Despite "headwinds" chiefly from Washington, she said she continues to see bright spots in the market, including the market for used EVs.

"It’s a great deal right now," Mascali said of offers for used EVs, which are generally cheaper than used gas-powered cars of similar year vintage, often with considerably more warranty for the battery and powertrain.

Continued education of the advantages of EVs, including lower maintenance and a continually increasing network of vehicle chargers, will be key to keeping the market going, Mascali said. "We have to continue to educate about EVs being better than gas cars," she said.

The report points to Department of Energy data to show the number of Level 2 and superfast chargers on Long Island jumped 50% in 2025, from 1,046 public charging points at the end of 2024 to 1,580 at last year’s end. Manufacturers also are coalescing around a Tesla standard for the chargers, the report noted.

Among other report findings: The Tesla Model Y was the most popular among Long Islanders last year, with 19,102 newly registered EVs during the year, followed by Tesla’s Model 3 at 10,661.

Among plug-in hybrids, the Jeep Wrangler topped the list, with 5,135 newly registered models on Long Island, followed by Toyota’s Prius Prime at 3,495.

Geographically on Long Island, the fastest-growing markets in 2025 were Hempstead, Islip and Smithtown, followed by City of Glen Cove, Oyster Bay, Babylon and North Hempstead.

By Mark Harrington

mark.harrington@newsday.comMHarringtonNews

Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries.