In recent years, electric vehicles have grown increasingly popular in Texas.
But, as The Amarillo Globe News reports, the new earth-friendly cars have yet to take off in the Panhandle. According to area electric car dealers, there are a few factors slowing the sales of electric vehicles sales in Texas, and more specifically in the Panhandle.
One issue is that one of the nation’s most prominent electric car producers, Tesla, cannot sell its vehicles in Texas due to a law prohibiting manufacturers from also being dealers. And the closest Tesla service station is hours away in Dallas.
Another problem: Amarillo and Lubbock have very few public electric vehicle chargers—and there are even fewer options for charging in the smaller surrounding towns. John Zwiacher of Scoggin-Dickey motors in Lubbock told AGN that he doesn’t think electric vehicles will take off in West Texas until manufacturers produce an SUV or pickup truck.