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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
A Louisiana babysitter was arrested after a toddler fell into a pool and drowned after being left underwater for 20 minutes, according to authorities.
Joann Johnson, 37, was charged with one count of negligent homicide on Wednesday after the 3-year-old boy died in her in-home daycare in Prairieville on May 18, according to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Joann Johnson, 37, was arrested after a toddler fell into a pool at her in-home daycare and drowned after being left underwater for 20 minutes. Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office
Two young children in Johnson’s care were playing in the backyard that afternoon, “without any safety wear,” when the 3-year-old fell into the pool and drowned, cops wrote in a statement.
The toddler was unconscious for a whopping 20 minutes before Johnson was seen on surveillance footage pulling him out of the water, police said.
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Emergency responders rushed to revive the boy with CPR, but he was ultimately pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Emergency responders rushed to revive the boy with CPR, but he was ultimately pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Police filed an arrest warrant for Johnson following an investigation. The babysitter turned herself in on Wednesday and was booked into the Ascension Parish Jail.
Drowning is the number one cause of death for children 1-4 years old in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
RUSTON, La. (KNOE) – Louisiana Tech University’s College of Education and Human Sciences announced it has established a new Center for Literacy and Learning designed to expand evidence-based reading support for children and professional development for educators across North Louisiana.
The university’s Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership said the launch of the Center for Literacy and Learning at Louisiana Tech, also known as L3, will provide diagnostic assessments, tutoring and workshop opportunities, combining academic research with hands-on clinical practice.
“As literacy rates and reading achievement continue to present challenges across Louisiana and the nation, the Center for Literacy and Learning is rooted in supporting evidence-based instruction, applied research, and community partnerships,” said Dr. Dustin Whitlock, interim department head of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership.
Officials said planning for the center began more than a decade ago as faculty sought to expand literacy services for local schools and the surrounding community, but the effort faced delays due to space and funding challenges.
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University leaders said momentum increased after faculty partnered with the Louisiana Department of Education and literacy experts nationwide to create a professional learning course for Louisiana K-3 educators. The course, “The Science and Art of Teaching Reading,” focuses on structured literacy practices aligned with Science of Reading research. Louisiana Tech said funding connected to the course and the state education department helped make the center possible.
Megan Hunt, a teacher at A.E. Phillips Laboratory School, was selected to lead the center. Whitlock said Hunt brings a strong background in foundational literacy instruction and is working toward becoming a certified UFLI coach.
“Mrs. Hunt’s skill and expertise allow her to support both students and educators through high-quality literacy instruction and professional learning,” Whitlock said.
Hunt said the center is aimed at building long-term support for literacy instruction through collaboration with districts, families and community partners.
“Literacy affects all aspects of life and is ultimately how people access opportunity and how communities grow stronger,” Hunt said. “When children become proficient readers, it represents more than just academic progress; it changes the trajectory of their lives.”
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Local school leaders also praised the partnership. Michelle Thrower, K-2 facilitator for Lincoln Parish Schools, said professional development and resources connected to Louisiana Tech have supported literacy growth in the district.
“Our collaboration with Louisiana Tech has been a cornerstone of our success in elevating literacy proficiency across Lincoln Parish Schools,” Thrower said, citing DIBELS growth tied to the UFLI Foundations curriculum in K-2.
Louisiana Tech said the center will operate through three main components:
The Literacy Clinic
The Literacy Institute
The Literacy Resource Center.
The center is expected to provide individualized assessments, targeted intervention services, literacy workshops and educator professional development.
Officials said the components will be developed in phases over the next few years.
For more information, Louisiana Tech said the public can contact Dr. Dustin Whitlock at whitlock@latech.edu.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced Tuesday that Louisiana was one of the few states chosen for a $134 million rare earth element initiative in a move that would give the U.S. more independence from China, Reuters reports.
ElementUSA has been awarded about $67 million for a rare earth refining facility projected to cost $850 million in St. John the Baptist Parish to ramp up its production of core material for military vehicles, naval ships and aircrafts.
Louisiana’s rare earth element initiatives are aimed at relocating the critical American minerals supply chain for electric vehicles, renewable energy and national defense. The minerals include bauxite residue, which is a waste product from aluminium production. The plant is expected to produce roughly 150-1,000 metric tons of rare earths annually.
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Oklahoma was also chosen to receive grant money for a refining facility in Tulsa.
