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!…