U.S. electric vehicle sales were down year-over-year in the first quarter, but optimized EV charging could reduce costs for EV drivers, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which would address one of the top concerns potential EV buyers have: affordability.

The automaker trade group’s state-by-state analysis of the U.S. EV market found that the EV market share declined 3% year-over-year on a 39% decrease in EV volume. It said 154 electric models were available for sale, down 6% from the end of 2025. However, the hybrid market share grew by 3%.

Statewise, California continued to lead the country in EV registrations at 18%, but two other states had 10%-plus registrations: Washington at 15% and Nevada at 11%.

When it came to charging infrastructure, the alliance found a ratio of 25 new EVs for every one new public port in the quarter. U.S. EV market leader Tesla’s share of new fast-charging stations has dropped 30% from 2023, according to the report.

The alliance noted a shift from merely adding public chargers to optimizing when and how vehicles charge, or vehicle-grid integration, which is “designed to align EV charging with grid needs.”

For example, “charging during periods of lower electricity demand or greater renewable energy availability” could reduce costs for EV drivers and improve the utilization of the existing grid infrastructure, the group said.