The first
The GM EV1 (1996) was the first modern lease-only production EV in the US — and a market failure that GM eventually crushed in the desert. The 2008 Tesla Roadster was the first EV sold to private buyers with real range (244 miles) at supercar performance.
The mainstream moment
The 2010 Nissan Leaf brought a usable EV to a sub-$35k price point. The 2012 Tesla Model S made EVs aspirational. The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt brought 238 miles of range to a sub-$40k hatchback. The 2020 Tesla Model Y became the best-selling vehicle in the world by 2023.
The truck moment
The 2021 Rivian R1T beat Ford and Tesla to the EV pickup market. The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning put the most American vehicle (the F-150) on a battery pack. The 2023 Tesla Cybertruck divided opinion. The pickup segment now has electric options across price points.
The point
EVs went from niche (EV1, Roadster), to credible (Leaf, Model S), to mainstream (Model Y), to the most-American format (F-150 Lightning) in 27 years. The Supercharger network — opened to other manufacturers via NACS in 2024 — was the practical advantage that finally killed range anxiety for most buyers.