The electric vehicle market may not have reached maturity yet, but at least it’s going through an impressive growth spurt, one that the public and private sectors should continue to nurture.

Hawaii is ideally suited to EVs: Daily commutes are relatively short and within range of a single charge. And EV charging at public charging stations during daylight hours takes full advantage of lower utility rates offered at that time.

The difficulty lies in knowing exactly how to nudge along this developing part of the green-energy sector, as the technology remains a work in progress. Putting more EV vehicles on the road in Hawaii will hinge on new developments reducing the cost of the cars, making them a sensible investment for more people.

Despite all these unknowns, the news is encouraging: Hawaii now ranks second in the nation among states with the highest per-capita ownership of EVs. A total of 5,009 electric vehicles were registered in the state as of November, a 27.8 percent increase over the previous year.

That trend was noted in the latest “Hawaii Energy Facts &Figures” report from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. The report said that EVs are an important part of the formula for the state to reach its goal of a 100 percent renewable energy portfolio by 2045.

Boosting the ownership further will take continued support from the marketplace. Dave Rolf, the executive director of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association, said his industry already has significant buy-in with the technology. More than half the dealerships now sell EVs, he said. Raising public awareness of federal tax credits, free parking and other inducements, customer interest should prompt more dealers to do the same.

Additionally, advocacy groups like Blue Planet Foundation are seeking federal funds to establish a carsharing network of EVs. These are cars available for short rentals, positioned at strategic commuting destinations. This would expand EV use to those currently unable to buy their own cars.

Meanwhile, increasing the number of EV charging stations to match the growth of EVs is a significant challenge.

Hawaiian Electric Industries plans to have 11 “fast charge” stations installed statewide by year’s end, with 25 installed by early 2018, said HEI spokesman Peter Rosegg. Positioning these stations near places like condos and apartment buildings will make an EV seem like a more practical purchase for those who don’t live in single-family homes equipped with individual charging outlets.

Charging stations can be expensive to install in public parking lots, said state Rep. Chris Lee, who chairs the House energy committee, because retrofitting the higher-power variations can require cutting through concrete and making costly electrical upgrades to older facilities.

Lee plans to propose expanding the number of required EV charging stalls — now one for every 100 in a public lot. He acknowledged that the rule has not been enforced, but it’s still a good idea, encouraging property owners to think of this as something that will become expected customer service in the future. When customers start to go elsewhere, enforcement won’t be an issue.

What may help, he said, is the advance of portable recharging stations, comprising repurposed battery units. The units can be recharged slowly using standard electrical outlets and be available for quick discharging into a parked EV.

There are also discussions of better ways to monetize the charging stalls, Lee added — including arrangements for leasing them for the use of a company.

EVs hold considerable promise for Hawaii’s clean-energy conversion, but like other renewable energy options, they have to work within the ordinary consumer’s bottom line. That should be the goal of those who support the technology. Otherwise, EVs will remain no more than a niche market.