In the second quarter of 2024, California achieved one of its best quarters ever for zero-emission vehicle sales, achieving 10,000 more than the first three months of the year and the second highest ever market share.
According to data from the California Energy Commission, 25.7% of all new cars sold in California last quarter were zero-emission vehicles, with Californians purchasing 118,181 zero-emission vehicles.
California has focused a large amount of funding to support the transition to electric vehicles and zero-emission transportation. Since Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order in 2020 calling for a rule to require all new car sales to be zero-emission by 2035, zero-emission vehicles sales have risen dramatically.
“Our policies helped lay the groundwork for our transition to clean cars — and now Californians are making the switch in record numbers.” Newsom said. “Clean cars are here, and they’re here to stay — thanks to California.”
According to data from the California Air Resources Board, 34% of new zero-emission vehicles sold in the U.S. are sold in California. Additionally, there are over 60 zero-emission vehicle-related manufacturers currently operating in California, leading the nation in zero-emission vehicle manufacturing jobs.
There have also been 105,000 public or shared private electric vehicle chargers installed throughout California, as well as over 500,000 at-home chargers.
California intends to continue growing the number of electric vehicles produced and sold in the state. This year, the state approved a $1.9 billion plan to build a larger charging network and is expected to receive more than $380 million from President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Additionally, California is putting in effort to make zero-emission vehicles more attainable to Californians. This includes developing the Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Plan, a comprehensive plan that lays out the overall strategy to meet California’s goals and providing thousands of dollars in grants and rebates available for low-income Californians seeking g a zero-emission vehicle.
