Steering Towards Tomorrow: The Role of EVs in a Sustainable Future

For over half a century, Earth Day has ignited a global movement, rallying millions to champion the planet’s well-being.  The first Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, 1970, marked the beginning of environmental awareness.  Today, 55 years later, Earth Day continues to inspire over a billion people worldwide to tackle the pressing environmental challenges of our time. 

In automotive, there is no bigger task ahead than the shift to electrification. While there are still concerns about costs and charging infrastructure, sales show that more people are adopting EVs.  In the first quarter of 2025, EV sales increased by 11.4% compared to last year.  Interestingly, this growth is coming from brands other than Tesla.  While Tesla’s sales declined, new models from Acura, Audi, Chevrolet, Honda and Porsche helped boost overall EV sales.

At Cox Automotive, we remain optimistic about the future.  Despite some ups and downs, and starts and stops in regulations, we see a strong interest in EVs among consumers. Our data shows that an average of 4.4 million households have shown interest in electric vehicles over the past 90 days.

Autotrader has over 400,000 Electric and Hybrid vehicle listings from which consumers can shop, attracting hundreds of thousands of pageviews each month. Additionally, comScore reports that Cox Automotive has the highest reach among internet users who are interested in purchasing a new EV or Hybrid in the next six months, as well as the highest audience reach among people who indicated hybrid or electric-only vehicle capability as their top auto purchase factor. 

 Research and shopping for EVs on Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book have remained stable, with a 9% increase in New Car Visits year-over-year. Similarly, we’ve seen Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid shopping increase by 11% year-over-year.  While interest varies across different regions in the U.S., we’ve seen an increase in EV and Hybrid shopping across all Census Regions, even with lower gas prices.   

The road to electrification certainly has not been a linear progression, but there’s a lot to be optimistic about with exciting new products and a robust and growing consumer base.  On Earth Day, we’re reminded that the path to a more sustainable future isn’t just paved with good intentions – it’s driven by informed action.  As EV adoption accelerates, we all have a powerful role to play in shaping a greener tomorrow. 

Download our latest EV and Hybrid shopper data and explore advertising opportunities with Cox Automotive to reach this highly engaged audience.  Together, let’s drive the change and shape what’s next.      

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