EVs Top 20% of California Sales

California has accelerated its electric-vehicle adoption, EVs’ share of new-vehicle sales surpassing 20% in the first nine months of this year, according to the California New Car Dealers Association.

The state’s battery-electric vehicle share was 21.5% in the period, the group said in its third-quarter outlook report, comparing it to the national BEV sales share of 7.4%. In fact, California leads the country in EV registrations at nearly 35% of sales, it said.

That’s not surprising with the state’s more extensive charging infrastructure, its ban on gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035, and the fact that U.S. EV market leader had its start in California, where it still leads in EV sales, though its share fell 9% year-over-year.

The association said gas-powered vehicles made up about 65% of new-vehicle sales, down from about 72% last year. It said sales of alternative-fuel vehicles as a whole, including hybrids, made up 35% during the period, up from about 12% in 2018.

It said the top battery-electric and plug-in hybrid sellers in the state year-to-date were the Tesla models Y and 3, the Chevrolet Bolt and the Jeep Wrangler, the top plug-in hybrid.

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