by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Light-duty vehicles in the United States used more electricity than rail systems for the first time in 2023 amid rising sales of electric vehicles (EVs), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

A new EIA analysis released Monday (May 20) shows electricity consumption by EVs rose to 7,596 gigawatt-hours in 2023, almost five times the consumption in 2018. Annual electricity consumption by railways has remained flat at about 7,000 gigawatt-hours over the past two decades.

Railways has been the largest electricity end-user in the transportation sector since 2003. Over that period, municipal railway systems or electrified passenger rail have had limited expansion.

EIA: Vehicles used more electricity than rail systems in 2023