California EV sales reach 17% of new cars, but affordable models remain scarce
By Eve
The Ceres Courier reported, via The Cool Down, that California recorded nearly 87,000 new zero-emission vehicle sales in the second quarter of 2026, according to California Energy Commission figures. Fully electric vehicles made up about 17% of new car purchases in the state, against 6% nationally. Gil Tal, director of UC Davis's Electric Vehicle Research Center, said the US market is very limited on affordable cars, noting that neighbouring countries to the north and south offer many affordable EVs not sold here.
Why it matters
Strong uptake in California alongside a thin supply of affordable and seven-seat models suggests charging demand growth may skew towards higher-priced vehicle owners for now. Procurement and CPO planning should allow for the risk that lower-income driver adoption, and the charging demand that follows, develops more slowly than headline sales imply.
Source
- Original title
- “California drivers seek relief from high gas prices, but affordable EVs are hard to find”
- Published
- 8 November 2026
- Updated
- 9 November 2026
In this story
- Topic
- Electric Vehicles
- Place
- United States
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