California zero-emission vehicle purchases spiked during the spring and early summer, representing a major rebound for the sector after sales declined the previous three quarters, according to California Energy Commission data released Tuesday.
Car dealerships sold 118,181 ZEVs — a category that includes battery, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell cars — between April and June, representing 25.7 percent percent of all light-duty vehicles sold during that period. That’s a nearly two percent jump from the first three months of the year, as Californians purchased 102,507 ZEVs and the proportion of overall vehicle sales dropped under 23.8 percent.
“Today, we can maintain that the progress continues, not just for this state, but for the nation,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a press briefing.
The numbers represent a potential breakthrough for California — the nation’s largest EV market — after sales started to decline in the third quarter of last year, sending shock waves through the market. Californians are now on pace to buy more than 450,000 ZEVs in 2024, which would represent a slight increase over the previous year.
