Electric vehicles accounted to 10.66% of the vehicles sold in California during the second quarter of 2021, data collected from official sources in California shows.
Sales of electric vehicles in the second quarter increased by 161% from the second quarter of 2020 when sales were held down by the lockdowns precipitated by COVID-19 pandemic, said Veloz, the alliance of public utilities, charging companies, automakers and state government agencies organized to promote the sales of EVs across the State of California.
The sales of EVs jumped significant across the U.S., according to Experian data tracking new vehicle registrations. EV sales were up 95% through April, pushing EVs to a 2.3% market share nationally, about a 50% increase from the same time in 2020.
Veloz also reported the total number of electric vehicles, including plug-in-hybrids totaled 61,948 during the April-to-June quarter, an increase of 5% from the first quarter of 2021 and now total 121,106 for the first half of 2021.
According to its website, the information on EV sales in the states comes from the California Energy Commission and is cross referenced with data from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to track the sales of zero emission vehicles, including battery-electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and fuel cell electric vehicles.
The DMV vehicle registration data is then cross-checked with a secondary database that translates Vehicle Identification Number to a specific make, model, year, and fuel type to come up with the final report, the CEC said.
California leading the way on EVs
Veloz estimated in its new report that California’s EV sales now account for roughly 39% of all electric vehicles sold in the United States, which President Joe Biden noted last week is in danger of losing EV development and sales leadership to China and Europe. The Biden administration’s stated goal is for EVs to account for roughly 50% of a cars and trucks sold in the U.S. by 2030.
Tesla, which posted record sales, during the second quarter, lead the way in California’s EV sales with the Telsa Model Y and Tesla Model 3, ranking as California’s top selling EVs. The Chevrolet Bolt and Toyota Prius Prime plug-in-hybrid ranked behind the two Tesla models among the top selling EVs, the report said.
Models such as the Ford Mach-E and the Jeep 4xe plug-in hybrid as just beginning to show up in California dealerships but distribution has been slowed by the shortage of semiconductors, which has reduced inventories. Most EV sales inside California are concentrated in around the San Francisco Bay region, which is the home of Tesla, as well as Southern California.
Veloz and the CEC reported added more than 1,000 electric vehicle chargers and five hydrogen refueling stations serving light-duty vehicles in California during the second quarter. California now has more than 74,000 public charging stations in place, according to the CEC and California Air Resources Board.
