Louisiana
America’s electric vehicle transition is well underway — but not in Louisiana • Louisiana Illuminator
The electric vehicle transition has firmly taken root in the United States, with Louisiana lagging well behind, according to a new report from an auto manufacturing trade association.
The latest market data from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation shows EV sales nationwide during the second quarter of 2024 have reached their highest volume ever recorded with 386,000 sales. That’s out of an estimated total of 4.1 million new vehicles sold during the three-month period, according to figures from manufacturers.
For the entire first half of 2024, automakers sold more than 730,000 EVs, which include fully electric, hybrid and fuel cell electric cars. The report based much of its analysis on vehicle registration data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and S&P Global Mobility.
The quarterly sales figure represents nearly 10% of new car sales during the period, which is up from 9.3% during the first quarter and 9% during the same period last year, according to the report.
Electric vehicles now claim 22% of the U.S. automotive market — compared to just 3% in 2016. At the same time, the market share for gas and diesel vehicles has been steadily declining since 2016.
However, like many other state-by-state rankings and metrics, Louisiana remains far behind its peers with an EV market share of only 1.83%, ranking 49th in the country. Only Mississippi (1.72%) and North Dakota (1.62%) saw a smaller share of EV sales in the second quarter.
While EVs have created an economic boon in other states, many of Louisiana’s political leaders have expressed fear of the energy transition and have taken policy positions that hamstring the industry. Since 2020, automotive and battery manufacturers have invested $125 billion into the EV sector and created 114,000 jobs across 18 states, according to the report.
More than one-quarter of new vehicle sales in California from March through June were electric vehicles. EV buyers accounted for nearly 20% of new auto sales in Washington, D.C, and Washington state during the same period.
Despite Louisiana’s low market share, EV sales in the state are still trending upward, representing 1.9% of new car sales during this year’s second quarter, which is a 1.8% jump from the first quarter and a 1.6% jump from the same period last year.
Louisiana lawmakers pass bill to protect ‘freedom’ to buy gas vehicles
The slow pace of adoption in Louisiana has had the unintentional effect of allowing public EV charging infrastructure to catch up in the state.
Almost 2,700 DC fast chargers, which can fully charge an EV battery in as little as 20 minutes, were installed across the U.S. during the second quarter of 2024. According to the report, there are now roughly 29 EVs for every public car charger.
In Louisiana, there are a total of 265 DC fast chargers, 29 of which were added during the second quarter. This equates to a ratio of 18 EVs for every public port in the state, which ranks Louisiana as the 16th best for charger-to-car ratio.
The inflationary pressures that drove up new EV sales prices during 2022 have largely subsided. The average EV transaction price of $56,000 is about 2% lower than it was at the beginning of the year and about 18% lower than it was two years ago. Electric vehicle prices, overall, are about 16% higher than that of the average car, according to the report.
While EVs were once dominated by funny-looking compact passenger cars, they now come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Manufacturers continue to introduce new models to satisfy a variety of consumer needs, including sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, minivans and sports cars. During the second quarter of 2024, SUVs, pickups and minivans comprised 84% of the EV market — a 10 percentage point increase over the same period last year.
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MONROE, La. (KNOE)—Over the past week, average gas prices in Louisiana have fallen 6.8 cents. That averages to $3.41/g today, according to a survey of 2,436 stations conducted by ‘GasBuddy’.
Compared to a month ago, prices in Louisiana are 45.3 cents lower per gallon. The lowest price of gas in Louisiana was $2.59/g on Sunday, with the highest being $4.99/g.
For reference, the national average price of gas has fallen 6.9 cents per gallon in the last week, which averages to $3.78/g, and is down 55.6 cents per gallon from a month ago.
On this date for the past five years, here’s how Louisiana’s gas prices compare to the nation’s average:
June 29, 2025: $2.75/g (U.S. Average: $3.14/g)
June 29, 2024: $2.93/g (U.S. Average: $3.48/g)
June 29, 2023: $3.02/g (U.S. Average: $3.51/g)
June 29, 2022: $4.37/g (U.S. Average: $4.85/g)
June 29, 2021: $2.76/g (U.S. Average: $3.12/g)
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Julia Letlow and Jamie Davis will face off this fall for U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy’s seat after winning their respective party runoffs Saturday night.
Letlow won the Republican runoff over John Fleming with 57% of the vote, less than an hour after polls closed on June 27. Davis won the Democratic nomination in a landslide, securing 80% of the vote over Gary Crockett.
Letlow, Davis claim victories
“I’ll fight for our families, I’ll fight for our farmers. I’ll fight for our teachers. I will fight for our parents. I’ll fight for our law enforcement. I will fight for everyone in this room, and we are just getting started,” Letlow said.
Davis said the issues driving his campaign cross party lines.
“Everybody wants better healthcare. Everybody wants better education for their children. Everybody wants a leg up with affordability. And everybody wants the Constitution to be upheld. Those issues are nonpartisan. I don’t have to change nothing but keep working,” Davis said.
Low turnout, Trump endorsement shaped Republican race
Estimated turnout was about 18% of registered voters. Political analyst Jim Engster said the low turnout actually benefited Fleming, who captured 43% of the vote, but was not enough to overcome President Trump’s endorsement of Letlow.
“He really had the 8 ball against him when President Trump endorsed Julia Letlow. President Trump is Hercules of Republican politics, and he’s carried this state three times by about 60 percent of the votes each time,” Engster said.
Engster said the results reflect the broader political landscape in Louisiana.
“It says that it’s more of the same. We’re a Republican state, and until further notice, we vote red in major elections,” Engster said.
New closed primary system draws scrutiny
Saturday’s election was the first major cycle under Louisiana’s new closed party primary system, in which Democratic voters could only choose Democratic candidates and Republican voters could only choose Republican candidates.
Engster said the change had a significant impact on participation, pointing to Cassidy’s vote totals as an example.
“Bill Cassidy might very well have held onto his seat in an open primary. After all, in the last open primary, he got 1,228,000 votes. This time he got 99,000 votes, so that’s a big difference,” Engster said.
Engster said critics of the closed primary system will use the turnout figures to make their case.
“It’ll be a case in which those who are against the closed primary will make the case that ‘The open primary may have its flaws, but more people participate. And after all, that is what we want. We want more people voting in our elections,” Engster said.
Road to November 2026
History suggests Republicans hold the advantage heading into the general election. Engster noted that Louisiana’s last elected Democratic senator was Mary Landrieu in 2008.
“It would really be a political miracle for Jamie Davis to win. Those things happen, but right now it’s a long shot, and there’s a lot of heavy lifting for him to do and for the Democratic Party to do to try to make up the inherent gap that is evident in Louisiana politics,” Engster said.
Letlow and Davis will face off in the general election on November 3.
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WEST MONROE, La. (KNOE) – The Northeast Louisiana Arts Council announced the winners of the 40th Annual Northeast Louisiana Arts Awards during a ceremony held Thursday, June 25.
Winners in nine categories were revealed during the program, where top nominees in each category were also recognized. Members of the Arts Council, its board of directors, and invited guests joined friends and family in celebrating the honorees.
2026 Northeast Louisiana Arts Awards winners
- Edmund Williamson Visual Artist of the Year: Stacy Thomas Medaries
- Tommy Usery Performing Artist of the Year: The John L. Brown, Sr. Memorial Scholarship Band
- BART (Business Art) Award: Creative Exchange
- Volunteer of the Year: Jennifer Haynes
- Dorothy Bassett Emerging Artist of the Year: Jari Richardson
- Region 8 Arts Educator of the Year: Joni Dollar
- Region 8 Higher Education Arts Educator of the Year: Emily Ezell
- Literary Artist of the Year: Jamie Mayes
- Community Arts Impact Award: Dr. Alicia Jones
For more information on the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council and its programs, click here.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
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