Delaware
Car dealers worry about the low demand for electric vehicles in Delaware
You may be able to receive your EV tax credit at point of sale in 2024
Electric vehicles, EVs and car charging stations are becoming more popular. Scripps News has learned there may be a tax policy change for EVs in 2024.
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Delaware’s car dealerships are facing new challenges as they prepare for an influx of electric vehicles in the state.
When DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin officially approved the clean car regulations in November, much of the burden was placed on dealers and car manufacturers, who will be tasked with delivering an increasing amount of electric vehicles to Delaware between 2026 and 2032.
Buyers are under no obligation to purchase an electric vehicle.
Car dealerships and their employees around the country are voicing concerns about the mandates, and Delaware dealerships are no different.
Even though some manufacturers are already shipping fewer gas-powered cars to Delaware, dealers say the demand for electric vehicles seems to be lacking so far.
More: Your questions, answered: What you need to know about state’s new electric vehicle mandate
Too much supply, not enough demand
In November, nearly 4,000 car dealerships nationwide penned a letter to President Biden’s administration to slow down the progress of electric vehicle mandates nationwide. Four Delaware dealerships signed on to this letter including Newark Toyota World, Price Acura, Price Honda and Price Toyota.
A rule was proposed in April by the federal Environmental Protection Agency that would hold automakers to more stringent emissions standards on new vehicles, which would essentially require electrification of most fleets.
“Today the supply of unsold [battery electric vehicles] is surging, as they are not selling nearly as fast as they are arriving at our dealerships, even with steep price cuts, manufacturer incentives and generous government incentives,” the letter says.
More: Delaware is growing. First State has 6th biggest per capita population bump in US
Surplus of electric vehicles in dealership lots has already become an issue in Delaware.
As early as May of this year, Santosh Viswanathan, chairman of legislative affairs for the Delaware Automobile and Truck Dealers’ Association and CEO of Lakeshore Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Ram in Seaford, was told that Jeep would no longer be supplying his dealership with the popular Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. Instead, they would only send over the electric versions of these models for the dealership’s floor plan.
Chip Sheridan, president of the Delaware Automobile and Truck Dealers Association and owner of Sheridan Nissan and Ford in New Castle and Wilmington, stated that he has had an estimated 30 Ford Mustang Mach-Es unsold on his showroom floor for around a month.
The letter called for the Biden administration to allow states the time to build out charging infrastructures, for manufacturers to find domestic material sources and for consumers to get acclimated to the technology and changes that electric vehicles require.
How will dealerships change course?
Now that clean car regulations are officially enacted, there are many factors that vehicle dealers need to grapple with.
For one, the mandate only requires car manufacturers to send over an increasing number of electric vehicles to Delaware, beginning with 43% of new cars in model year 2027 increasing to 82% by 2032.
There is no guarantee that these cars will be sold or registered in the state, and based on the relative scarcity of demand in Delaware for electric vehicles, dealers are wary about betting on an increased number of batteries on the road.
More: Your buyer’s guide for an electric vehicle in Delaware, including rebates and deadlines
Sheridan worries that the mandate could lead to Delawareans going to nearby states like Pennsylvania, which does not hold itself to a clean car regulation, to buy the non-electric vehicle of their choice and then registering it in Delaware.
Affordability also continues to be an issue. According to July 2023 Kelley Blue Book values, the average price for a new internal combustion engine vehicle in the U.S. was around $48,000 while a new electric vehicle averaged around $53,000.
Incentives are in place, both at the federal and statewide levels, but they’re usually only applicable for vehicles under $50,000, which most electric vehicles don’t fall under, at least for now.
Projections have estimated that electric vehicles should even out with gas cars in the coming years, and prices have already changed drastically. Despite the higher current price, the average electric vehicle price has dropped by 16% over the past year, according to Kelley Blue Book.
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“We’ve seen prices fluctuate so much over the last few years, I couldn’t even begin to guess what or when that would take place,” Sheridan said.
According to Sheridan, becoming an electric vehicle dealer requires steep investments to install chargers for different car models. Some state dealers have spent around $5 million just on installation and other equipment.
What needs changing?
Charging infrastructure is a major hurdle for Delaware to keep up with the influx of electric cars it’s looking to employ. Public chargers are often busy and don’t have maintenance standards in place to make sure they’re working at all times.
To Sheridan, one of the biggest things that will have to change is consumer attitudes. Electric vehicles are in supply, but demand isn’t up to speed.
Habits that work with combustion engine vehicles aren’t always transferrable. Charging, at least for now, needs to be planned in advance to ensure there’s enough range on the car.
“I have to hope that 43% of the people in the state want to buy electric cars,” Sheridan said. “Having an excess of inventory does not solve our problem.”
Contact Molly McVety at mmcvety@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.
Watch the votes take place for the future of the Montchanin inn
Watch the New Castle County Board of Adjustment vote on whether the historic Inn at Montchanin should become a new neuro-rehab site, Dec. 18, 2025.
A medical group that wanted to create a brain injury rehabilitation center at the Inn at Montchanin Village & Spa but was denied by New Castle County’s Board of Adjustment has found a new location in Delaware City.
Delaware NeuroRehab has purchased the two-story Tilton Building at Fort DuPont, a facility that had been part of the Governor Bacon Health Center. The building has been listed for $3.15 million.
A subdivision was approved by the Delaware City Council in April.
The site at 2546 Colter Road will become the state’s first comprehensive post-acute inpatient brain injury rehabilitation center, according to the medical group. It will serve individuals recovering from traumatic brain injuries, strokes, neurological disorders, and other acquired brain injuries.
Construction and renovation for the 57,000-square-foot facility will begin soon, the group’s spokeswoman said. The 28-bed rehabilitation center is scheduled to open in 2027.
The historic Fort DuPont campus is along the Delaware River and the C&D Canal. The land had been a military installation dating back to the Civil War and is named for Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont, a Civil War Naval hero. It became a training facility until the end of World War II.
Fort DuPont was acquired by the state in 1947 and hosted the Governor Bacon Health Center. In 1992, it became part of the state park system.
Plans for the 219-acre site include new homes, shops, and gathering spaces while preserving and adapting many of the former military buildings dating back to the 19th century.
The Tilton Building was originally constructed in 1909 and reconstructed in 1936 following a fire, according to a brochure from Emory Hill, a commercial real estate and property management group. It served as the barracks for the First Regiment of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stationed at Fort DuPont. The building housed up to 628 enlisted men and supported the regiment’s engineering operations at the fort.
Later, it was a hospital for children and elderly patients. It was named for Dr. James Tilton, a Delaware physician and the first surgeon general of the U.S. after the Revolutionary War in 1948. The medical facility closed in the 1990s.
Last summer, Delaware NeuroRehab, which has outpatient locations in Dover, Newark, and Lewes, revealed plans to purchase the historic Inn at Montchanin Village & Spa from LeDee Lickle Wakefield, an owner and trustee. The upscale hotel, owned by descendants of the du Pont family, is on a triangle-shaped plot bounded by Route 100 and Kirk and Rockland roads.
In July 2025, an attorney representing Haresh Sampathkumar of Delaware NeuroRehab Inpatient LLC contacted New Castle County’s Board of Adjustment and said the doctor planned to buy the historic Inn, which, in the mid-19th century, was home to laborers who worked at the nearby DuPont Co. powder mills and at Winterthur estate. Wakefield’s parents turned the site into a hotel in the early 1990s.
Sampathkumar wanted to repurpose the historic Inn at Montchanin, located about 10 miles northwest of Wilmington, as a 34-bed short-term recovery facility that would have provided brain-injured patients with physical, occupational, speech, and other rehabilitation services.
Sampathkumar said the rehabilitation center was needed and filled a gap in care for patients who often must leave the state to receive specialized post-acute rehabilitation services.
The doctor said he had no plans to change the exterior of the buildings on the site, other than installing ramps that would have made them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. He said the 76-seat Krazy Kat’s restaurant, open since 1996 in a former blacksmith shop, and the Inn’s spa, located in a stone barn on the property, would continue to operate.
Delaware NeuroRehab needed a variance from the county Board of Adjustment because the more than 4-acre site is slightly smaller than the 5 acres required for an institutional residential building.
Residents of the affluent Montchanin area, which has million-dollar homes, opposed the plan, while the county’s Land Use Department had recommended its approval. The Board of Adjustment voted against the plan, with one member citing the property was too small for its planned use. The variance was denied in December 2025.
The Inn at Montchanin Village & Spa and the Krazy Kat’s restaurant went back on the market for $7 million this past February. According to a July 9 listing, it is still for sale. The listing said to contact the broker for the current sale price.
The Delaware City location for the Delaware NeuroRehab has the same goals as what were proposed for the Inn at the Montchanin site. Delaware NeuroRehab said the new rehabilitation center will provide an intensive program designed to help patients gain independence and transition back into their homes, communities, and workplaces.
“Too many Delaware families are forced to travel out of state during one of the most difficult times in their lives,” said Sampathkumar, founder and medical director of Delaware NeuroRehab, in a prepared statement. “Our vision is to provide nationally recognized brain injury rehabilitation close to home, allowing patients to recover while remaining connected to their families, caregivers, and support systems, and ultimately return to meaningful daily activities including work.”
The project is expected to create more than 60 healthcare and support positions.
Patricia Talorico writes about food, restaurants and Delaware history. You can find her on Instagram, X and Facebook. Email ptalorico@delawareonline.com. Sign up for her Delaware Eats newsletter.
Measles in Pennsylvania worries Delaware health officals
Delaware health officials are on high alert as measles cases rise in Pennsylvania.
As measles cases increase in Pennsylvania, Delaware health officials say they are on high alert, warning that “infectious diseases don’t care about state borders.”
Dr. Ayanna Buckner, chief physician in the Delaware Division of Public Health’s Office of Epidemiology, said as of July 9, Delaware did not yet have any confirmed measles cases.
But she noted the state is vulnerable given its close proximity to outbreak locations, prior exposure incidents in Delaware and the highly contagious nature of the disease.
She also noted Delaware has already encountered potential measles threats this year, including an exposure linked to an out-of-state patient who sought treatment at Nemours Children’s Hospital and the detection of measles in a Lewes wastewater sample.
“We do feel that our Delaware community is at high risk,” Buckner said. “We spend so much time doing investigations around infectious diseases, and measles is the one that we are on pins and needles about this summer.”
As of July 8, Pennsylvania had 101 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026, up from 94 on July 6. The majority of those were in Lancaster County – 60 total cases this year, including 52 since late April – and Lebanon County – 20 cases. These counties do not border Delaware.
However, four cases have been confirmed in Chester County since April. Chester borders the First State.
“We can’t say, ‘Oh, that’s over there in that state; we’re [OK],’” Buckner said. “Again, because infectious diseases don’t respect state borders.”
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. Quotations are verbatim.
Question: How concerned should Delaware residents be about measles?
Answer: So far this year, the Division of Public Health has issued two health alerts about measles. The first was in February, when an unvaccinated resident of another state who was infected sought treatment at the Nemours Children’s Hospital emergency department. Health officials notified anyone who was potentially exposed and conducted contact tracing.
The second alert came in April, after routine wastewater testing in Lewes detected measles in a water sample.
“We were concerned that a measles case would pop up in Delaware, but that never happened. So we are making a guess that perhaps someone was traveling through the area. But again, if someone with measles travels through here, they could still potentially expose people that they come in contact with in Delaware.”
If a fully vaccinated person is exposed to measles, then visits or cares for an unvaccinated person, what’s the risk to the unvaccinated person?
Everything in the study of infectious diseases is a risk calculation, and a situation like that would be considered low risk. But “that is why vaccination is so important.”
What would you say to someone who is hesitant about vaccination?
“I cannot give a stronger recommendation for them, especially at this time. And I say especially at this time because every meeting I’m in, when I’m meeting with other states, when I’m attending national meetings, we’re always talking about measles.”
Given large-scale public events throughout the region this summer, such as the FIFA World Cup and American 250th anniversary events, “one of our biggest concerns is measles.”
My child isn’t old enough to be vaccinated. Are there common sense precautions I can take?
The first dose for infants is usually given between 12 and 15 months. Some states with outbreaks are recommending that babies get them earlier. Delaware is not one of them. However, it has long been recommended that a baby six months old or older who is planning to travel abroad get the measles vaccine.
“Be thoughtful about prevention and be really vigilant. If someone is telling you they’ve got a rash, they’ve got a cough, really try not to be around them. So often folks are like, ‘Oh, I can’t miss work,’ or ‘I don’t want to miss this playdate.’ But if someone’s sick, don’t bring your baby around.”
If I suspect myself or my child has measles, should I show up unannounced at a doctor’s office?
No. Call ahead and follow the health care facility’s instructions.
Are adults who were vaccinated decades ago still protected?
If you were born before 1957, you are considered immune. If you were fully vaccinated, you’re also considered immune. If you’re concerned, however, your doctor can order a blood test to check for immunity. Such testing is fairly common.
“When we are doing a measles investigation, the first thing we ask is, ‘Are you vaccinated? Can you show us proof of vaccination?’ If we can’t find it in our Delaware database, then we ask people, ‘Can you show us your records?’ If people don’t have them, then we think about whether we need to recommend prophylaxis. But one of the steps in between is people will frequently go and have their (blood) drawn, which can demonstrate immunity.”
If a measles case is identified in Delaware, what happens next?
The process begins by identifying those who were exposed and inquiring about vaccine status. Then, health officials will “make appropriate recommendations about prophylaxis” – or a measure taken to prevent a disease from occurring before it becomes an active illness.
“We will also work with facilities depending on what type of facility it was. If it’s a hospital, we usually can get names and make phone calls to them. But sometimes it’s a public event, and we don’t have someone who can just give us all the names, so we will use social media and/or provide a letter that the facility can provide to inform people. I strongly encourage everyone to follow the Division of Public Health social media pages … We also strongly encourage health professionals, school leaders, business leaders, as appropriate, to sign up for our Delaware Health Alert notification, and that’s on our website.”
Which famous people have visited Hotel du Pont in Delaware?
Athletes, world leaders, actors and other famous people have visited the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington over the years.
Southern rap icon 2 Chainz is coming for Delaware’s neck this summer in a special event highlighting his recently released New York Times Bestseller, “The Voice in My Head is God.”
This book talk is set for Wilmington Public Library on July 21. Folks interested in attending are required to purchase the book at registration. The cost of a ticket includes the book.
Here’s what to know about 2 Chainz, “The Voice in My Head is God” and how he was involved in one of the greatest hip-hop concerts that Delaware never got to see.
Who is rap star 2 Chainz?
Tauheed Epps, better known by the stage name 2 Chainz, is a 48-year-old Georgia native who used to rap under the controversial moniker Ti– Boi when he was a member of the duo Playaz Circle, alongside his friend Dolla Boy. In 2007, the duo signed to Ludacris’ Disturbing tha Peace (DTP), a label that operated under Def Jam, according to an article from Revolt.TV.
That same year, Playaz Circle dropped the major song “Duffle Bag Boy” featuring Lil Wayne. The Atlanta-area rapper eventually went solo and began his journey as a trap music icon who switched his name to 2 Chainz, under which he’s gained a ridiculous amount of music collaborations and success.
According to RIAA.com, 2 Chainz has racked up over a dozen singles and albums combined that have each gone platinum (including “I’m Different” and “Based on a T.R.U. Story”). That doesn’t even include the multiple guest records he’s appeared on that have gone platinum, too.
From Lil Wayne to Drake, 2 Chainz has worked with everyone
Some of the artists 2 Chainz has teamed with include Quavo and Gucci (“Good Drank”), Wiz Khalifa on the song “We Own It” (Fast and Furious) and J Cole (“Chris Tucker”), plus repeat collabs with artists like Kanye West (“Champions,” “The One”), Drake (“Sacrifices,” “No Lie”) and a joint album with Lil Wayne (“Welcome 2 Collegegrove”).
The rapper 2 Chainz has been nominated for six Grammys Awards and won his first in 2017 for Best Rap Performance on Chance The Rapper’s tune “No Problem.”
That time 2 Chainz brought in LeBron James
Thinking outside of the box, 2 Chainz brought on LeBron James (yep, the same NBA superstar who reportedly is considering signing with the Philadelphia 76ers) as an A&R for his 2019 album: “Rap or Go To the League,” Billboard reported.
2 Chainz releases new book, ‘The Voice in My Head is God’
The rapper’s new book released this past spring and highlights how 2 Chainz, raised by a single mom while his dad served prison time, chose to step away from the streets and discovered “his purpose: not by fame or fear, but by faith,” per the book’s synopsis on Amazon.
“In his most personal work yet, Grammy Award–winning rapper 2 Chainz shares the spiritual journey behind his success, offering a raw, reflective, and deeply motivational meditation on the inner voice that’s guided him his whole life: God.”
2 Chainz and the super Delaware concert that never was
One of Delaware’s greatest hip-hop concerts to never happen was supposed to include several rap legends a few years ago, and 2 Chainz was one of them.
This super concert was titled “Masters of the Mic: Hip Hop 50 Tour,” a celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, and it was set to be held at Frawley’s Stadium in Wilmington in 2023.
The tour stop to Delaware was slated to feature a lineup that included a blend of contemporary rappers and pioneers such as Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Fat Joe, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, EPMD, Rakim and Slick Rick.
Just days before the event, however, The Grand in Wilmington announced on social media that the plug had been pulled on the concert “due to circumstances beyond our control.”
A big reason the event was sunk is likely due to the price of tickets, which were initially $170 per person. The Grand offered the same tickets for $100 on Facebook not long before the show was canceled.
This upcoming book talk with 2 Chainz should be redemption for Delaware fans who missed him because of the canceled tour stop in 2023.
How much are tickets to see 2 Chainz in Delaware?
Interested guests are required to purchase 2 Chainz’s new book, “The Voice in my Head is God,” to attend his Delaware book talk. The price of ticketed admission is $28.52 and includes the book. Be warned: Tickets may not be available if you wait too long. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.com.
Where in Delaware is 2 Chainz for his book talk?
Wilmington Public Library (10 E. 10th St., Wilmington) from 6 to 8 p.m. July 21. For more information, visit facebook.com/WilmingtonLibraryDE or Wilmington Public Library’s Eventbrite page or call (302) 571-7400.
If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.
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