Electric vehicle sales in the United States rose 40% compared to the same period last year, according to new data from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. The surge comes as the national charging network has expanded significantly and manufacturers continue to introduce more competitively priced models.

The data shows that EVs now account for approximately 12% of all new vehicle sales, up from 8.5% a year ago. Notably, growth was strongest in suburban and rural markets, where charging infrastructure improvements have addressed one of the primary barriers to adoption.

Industry analysts attribute the acceleration to several converging factors: battery costs that have fallen roughly 15% over the past year, the availability of models across more price points and vehicle categories, and a national charging network that has grown to over 180,000 public charging ports.

Automakers have responded to the trend by announcing expanded production plans, with several major manufacturers moving up their timelines for introducing new electric models in the truck and SUV categories that dominate American vehicle preferences.