Overview
- With the Detroit Auto Show getting underway this week, automakers are highlighting new electric vehicle models and technology at the same time Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County are working toward fixed climate deadlines. Ann Arbor’s A2ZERO plan commits the city to community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030, while the county has adopted goals of carbon-neutral government operations by 2030 and countywide greenhouse gas neutrality by 2035—targets that depend in part on reducing transportation emissions.
The cost of owning an electric vehicle in Michigan has increased in specific, concrete ways. Drivers now face an additional annual EV registration fee of more than $140, narrowed federal tax credit eligibility that excludes many models from the full $7,500 incentive, higher insurance premiums, and out-of-pocket costs for home charging installation or reliance on higher-priced public chargers.
Gasoline prices have risen as well, including increases tied to Michigan’s fuel tax adjustment that took effect in 2026. While higher gas prices raise the cost of driving gasoline vehicles, they do not reduce the upfront price of an electric vehicle, which remains the primary barrier for many households.
These cost pressures affect communities differently within Washtenaw County. Ann Arbor households are more likely to have higher incomes, homeownership, and access to residential charging, while Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township have higher renter populations, older housing stock, and less access to home charging, making EV ownership less accessible under current conditions.
- Electric vehicles are already embedded in local climate policy, not as a future option but as a required component of meeting adopted emissions targets. The challenge being discussed now is not whether EVs are part of the solution, but how affordability and access align with climate goals that are already on the calendar.
Transcription
David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU, and auto enthusiasts are gearing up for the public opening of the annual Detroit Auto Show. Electric vehicles will be among those highlighted this year, but there's also some uncertainty in the air. I'm David Fair, and welcome to Issues of the Environment. There are climate concerns, affordability and access issues, infrastructure to consider, and the federal administration is enacting policies that lack previous commitment to a transition away from gas-powered vehicles. So, what now? I certainly don't know, but I do know who to ask. Charles Griffith is Climate and Energy Program Director for the Ann Arbor-based Ecology Center. And thanks for the time, and Happy New Year, Charles!
Charles Griffith: Well, Happy New Year to you, David! It's great to be back!
David Fair: Well, industry and media days at the Auto Show are today and tomorrow. And then, the show is going to open to the public on the 17th and run through the 25th. Are you going to make it down this year?
Charles Griffith: I'm planning on it!
David Fair: I thought you might! Well, has there been any buzz that you've picked up ahead of the show this year about what to expect?
Charles Griffith: Not a ton, actually. But I have my own assumptions about what I might see there. I think we're going to continue to see the rollout of new electric vehicles. Though, maybe that slowed a little bit recently, and we're going to probably see more announcements about some hybrids and other partially better vehicles from an environmental standpoint. We're seeing a little bit of recalibration in the industry right now, which has some downsides, of course, but there's some pluses in there maybe too.
David Fair: Well, okay. So, with that in mind, let's take a quick look back when it comes to the auto industry and its ongoing and sometimes interrupted adaptation to climate issues. How do you think we fared in 2025?
Charles Griffith: 2025 was quite an interesting year. I think we can all agree. It was a bit tumultuous from the standpoint of federal policy, as we know. From just the market itself, I mean, we saw the best months, or several months actually ever, for electric vehicle sales, in large part, to get ahead of the ending of the federal tax credits for electric vehicles. And then, that has been followed now with a pretty rapid dip in the market since many of those sales were pulled forward. Looking forward, I think the question is just how quickly those sales might sort of rebound and how the market will fare without those federal tax incentives being in place.
David Fair: This is Issues of the Environment on 89.1 WEMU, and we're talking with Charles Griffith from the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor. We are entering a midterm election year, Charles, and one of the key issues is affordability. Whether it be health care, groceries, or transportation, a lot of folks are being stretched to the limit and beyond by the cost of basic needs. So, when it comes to electric vehicles, as you mentioned, many of the incentives are gone. Here in Michigan, there's a more than $140 additional registration fee for EVs, and even for those that can't afford one, there's the out-of-pocket cost for a home charging station. Add those factors and some others together, and it's easy to see it could be a slower transition than hoped for. Will affordability of EVs improve over the next 12 months?
Charles Griffith: Well, I think the answer is mostly yes. And I'll tell you why. I think, first of all, we're going to see the return of the Chevy Bolt and with a great seller. And then sort of mysteriously, they ended production of that vehicle and then decided to bring it back under popular demand. But it's going to come back with sort of all new architecture of the battery system that GM has developed for its more recent electric vehicles. And I think there's a lot of pent-up demand for that vehicle, which is, again, on the more affordable end of the spectrum. But maybe more importantly, from a pure affordability standpoint, the secondary market, as it's called, is about two-thirds or more of all auto sales. So, the good news is that we're going to have a lot of electric vehicles that have been purchased over the last several years, they're going to start coming onto that secondary market and provide much more affordable options for people who want to get into driving electric. And you mentioned some of the other costs for having to install charging stations and things like that, but what you also didn't mention was the fact that driving on electricity can be a much more affordable option because If you can get access to charging on a sort of standard electricity rate or especially an overnight rate, which can be cheaper, that can provide up to half or less of the cost of filling up your vehicle with gasoline. I'm really looking forward to seeing electric vehicles become the sort of low-cost option for consumers.
David Fair: The research and development of battery technology and energy storage is expensive. EV charging infrastructure--rather limited at this point nationally. And expansion--quite expensive. The cost of electricity is going up. Energy grids throughout the country require upgrades to accommodate what we are planning for. As you explore climate solutions, is part of your research that you're doing at the Center also focused on potential avenues to pay for what we actually need?
Charles Griffith: You know, here's where I'll push back a little bit. I think we've made a lot of progress. We know thanks in part due to things like funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which now most of those funds are going away. But one actually good news story is that the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program that set out to install over 500,000 charging stations along highways across the country, that money was fought for because Congress had approved it and states and advocates sued to make sure that that money kept rolling. That's still available, and the state of Michigan, through the Michigan Department of Transportation, is continuing to provide grants to support additional charging stations to be installed. The state of Michigan itself approved $30 million in additional dollars to help install charging stations across the state. And that program has been moving along. And our utilities, which we talked about just very briefly, also have programs to help incentivize the installation of charging stations. And all that combined has led to a doubling or a tripling of charging stations across the state. That has to continue, and it has to keep pace with the additional sales of electric vehicles. But I think it's a good news story. You can travel most places in the state now and have the assurance or the confidence that you're going to be able to find a charging station.
David Fair: Once again, our Issues of the Environment conversation with the Ecology Center's Charles Griffith continues on 89.1 WEMU. And we're now just four years away from Ann Arbor's goal of reaching carbon neutrality, nine years away from Washtenaw County's stated goal--vehicle emissions, obviously a big part of getting there. Based on what you see today, are we making enough progress to potentially actually achieve these goals?
Charles Griffith: Yeah, that's a tough one. I think, especially as an environmental advocate, we can never go fast enough. I think, from a scientific standpoint, there's a lot of concern that we're not keeping pace with the reduction of emission requirements that we know we need to meet in order to reduce the worst impacts of change. I do still feel like we're making a lot of progress. I do have strong concerns about the elimination of both incentives and regulations that have occurred under this administration and new Congress. On the flip side, we have some continued commitments from the manufacturers to continue to produce these vehicles, though, as I mentioned, with a little bit of recalibration, perhaps to more hybrids and other kind of transitional technologies. So, there's reason for hope, but we can't let up on the urgency of getting this done. And that's why we still need to focus on ways to speed up progress wherever we can. And that probably has to happen for the immediate future more at the state and local level.
David Fair: Throughout our conversation, at almost every turn, you have met my cynicism and skepticism with optimism, and I'm just curious as to what you are most optimistic about.
Charles Griffith: Oh, wow! Now you're really pushing me, David. I think I did mention that on the last time we spoke that I tried to focused on that the positive wherever I can and tend to be more on the hopeful side. I think maybe that's in part because dwelling on the negative would be bad for my own psyche. But I think I'm hopeful that people fundamentally do generally want to help prevent climate change, and despite sort of the signals that they may be getting from government, they will continue to sort of look for the best vehicle that can both meet their needs but also be better for the environment and also better for their pocketbook. And it makes a lot of sense.
David Fair: Well, Charles, thank you so much for taking time out of your day to talk to me! And I appreciate your perspective!
Charles Griffith: Thank you, David! Always a pleasure!
David Fair: That is Charles Griffith, joining us just prior to the public opening of the 2026 Detroit Auto Show. Charles is Climate and Energy Program Director for the Ann Arbor-based Ecology Center. He's been our guest on Issues of the Environment. Issues of the Environment is produced in partnership with the office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner, and you hear it every Wednesday. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU-FM Ypsilanti.
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