California broke its own zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales record—again!! Californians have seen how fun and economical ZEVs are to drive, and the transition to ZEVs now has momentum that Trump cannot stop
An outstanding 124,755 zero-emission vehicles were sold in California in the third quarter of 2025. That’s almost a third of car sales in the state—the highest of any quarter yet!
California is ramping up improvements to vehicle charging infrastructure hand-in-hand with ZEV adoption. In October, the state adopted pioneering reporting and regulation standards to ensure that electric vehicle chargers are working when and where drivers need them. Concurrently, it approved funds to build out fast chargers along some of our most-used transit corridors and increase charging access in low-income, disadvantaged, or multi-family affordable housing areas.
Transitioning away from gasoline-powered vehicles is crucial in addressing the climate crisis, especially in California. As of 2023, the transportation sector contributed 38% of our state’s total emissions, more than any other sector.
This progress comes in spite of the federal administration’s attempts to impede ZEV adoption. Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate revoked California’s waiver under the Clean Air Act. The waiver had granted California the ability to set higher air quality standards than those established by federal regulation. California’s ZEV sales boom also coincides with the end of the $7500 federal tax credit for EVs, which the federal government closed in late September. Tax credits and incentives are instrumental in encouraging ZEV purchases.
We can probably expect sales in the next few quarters to be significantly lower, now that the tax credits have expired, but I’m still encouraged to see that Californians are charging ahead with the transition to electric vehicles!