While cars are a major part of California’s identity, so are trailblazing climate solutions. Recently, these two things have aligned: In the second quarter of 2023, 25% of new cars sold in the state were electric, the Los Angeles Times reports. This is a new record for the share of cars sold quarterly that were electric.
For California to reach its climate goals, all new vehicles sold in the state must be electric by 2035. The California Air Resources Board has also declared that by 2026, 35% of all passenger cars and trucks sold in the state must be all-electric. By 2030, 68% must be electric. California appears to be on pace to reach these goals. In April, the state reached its target of selling 1.5 million EVs two years ahead of time.
California’s EV sales account for 34% of EV sales nationwide. The state has also invested $5 billion in the transition to zero-emission vehicles, more than any other state.
To encourage the purchase of electric vehicles, California offers up to $7,500 in rebates for battery-electric and hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles and up to $6,500 for plug-in hybrids.
“California is showing the world what’s possible – fostering innovation and creating space for an industry to flourish,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a press release.
