On August 10, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the sales of zero-emission vehicles in the state had increased by nearly 10,000 vehicles in the second quarter compared to the beginning of the year.
According to the press release, California sold a total of 118,000 zero-emission vehicles in the second quarter, accounting for 26% of all new car sales.
The increase in sales comes almost four years after the executive order signed by the governor in 2020, which mandates that all new cars sold in California must be zero-emission vehicles by 2035.
Newsom stated in the press release, “Our policies have laid the foundation for the transition to clean vehicles, and now Californians are making record-breaking vehicle conversions.”
According to statistics from the governor’s office, nearly 2 million clean air vehicles have been sold in California since Newsom issued the directive.
Officials noted that over one-third of all new zero-emission vehicles sold in the United States are in California, with currently 60 related manufacturers operating in the state.
The governor’s office also mentioned that California has installed over 100,000 public or private electric vehicle charging stations, as well as more than 500,000 home charging units.
According to a press release from the California Energy Commission, the state continues to expand its zero-emission transportation infrastructure statewide this year. The Energy Commission approved a $1.9 billion investment plan to build 40,000 electric vehicle charging stations over the next four years.
However, as Newsom announced the California second-quarter sales data, Republican lawmakers questioned his proclaimed success, claiming he was selectively citing data.
Republican State Senator Brian Jones stated in a release on the 7th, “Car sales are declining, including electric vehicle sales. In these tough economic times, it’s not about boasting but about actually addressing California’s issues.”
According to a report from the California New Car Dealers Association in July, new car registrations decreased by 0.7% compared to the same period last year.
The report indicated a significant drop in registrations for the well-known electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla; in July this year, Tesla registrations decreased by 17% year-on-year.
Sales data provided by the nonprofit organization Veloz showed that in 2023, California sold 441,283 electric vehicles, a 43% increase from 2022. However, sales for the first half of this year were 227,000 vehicles, only a slight increase compared to the same period last year.