Submitted Photo Auto industry groups say electric vehicle sales have enjoyed healthy growth in the United States, but states such as North Dakota still lag behind. Photo from Adobe Stock.

Federal tax incentives for electric vehicles will be eliminated sooner than originally planned.

Potential EV buyers in North Dakota might be rethinking their approach but a regional expert said they should not suddenly change course.

Under the new tax policy law pushed by the Trump administration, enhanced tax credits bringing down the cost of a new or used electric vehicle end Sept. 30. They were originally planned to run through 2032.

Jukka Kukkonen, chief EV educator and strategist for the Minnesota-based EV consulting firm Shift2Electric, acknowledged the move might dampen enthusiasm, especially in a low-adoption state such as North Dakota, but with or without the credits, local consumers should keep an open mind.

“Because people in rural areas drive more, they actually get more advantages from driving an EV than people in cities do,” Kukkonen said.

He pointed out if a rural North Dakotan has to drive 30 miles to the next town for work each day, doing so in an electric car means minimal transportation costs and low maintenance expenses. Kukkonen noted EV technology has improved, creating much longer range for batteries. However, charging infrastructure remains a concern outside of homes.

Even with federal help in recent years, analysts said low adoption in rural areas provides little incentive for commercial developers to add stations.

Kukkonen added in states where households are not used to making such decisions, it is understandable they might feel intimidated, including by the sticker price before the incentives. For families with multiple cars, he suggested easing in is a good approach.

“That’s how you can make a comparison,” he said.

He warned with the tax credits expiring this fall, there could be an immediate rush to snatch up electric models, potentially limiting inventory for the time being. The credits are up to $7,500 for qualifying new EVs and up to $4,000 for used models.