California’s EV Push: A Quarter of New Car Sales Are Electric
California’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure has reached a critical milestone, with 25% of all new cars sold in the state now being electric. This growth signals a major shift toward sustainable transportation.
“When you see that number, it really takes you by surprise,” stated Orville Thomas, the CEO of the California Mobility Center, highlighting the rapid expansion of EVs.
With this increase, the perception of owning and operating an EV is changing, according to Thomas. He noted that previously, “the chargers were fewer and far between, and trying to make sure you get to one that worked at the speed you needed wasn’t really that easy.” However, “California has done a really really good job in making sure their investing in public chargers being put into the ground,” he added.
The state currently boasts a network of over 178,000 electric charging stations. In comparison, there are approximately 120,000 gas station nozzles across the state. The figures are even higher when including home chargers. According to Gil Tal, a professor at the UC Davis Research Center, “We have about a million home chargers in California.”
Tal also emphasized the growing trend of businesses installing chargers to attract customers and boost revenue. “We see commercial retail places that know that if you stop to charge by their place you are most likely to spend a little bit more money while waiting for your car to charge,” he observed.
California’s commitment to EVs is further solidified by Governor Gavin Newsom’s ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. EV advocates stress the importance of expanding the state’s renewable energy power grid to meet this growing demand.
“We’re seeing better batteries that are made cheaper and that are looking into resources that are more earth-abundant and domestically produced,” Thomas pointed out.
Lawmakers have also provided financial backing, allocating more than $1 billion to expand the network of electric and hydrogen charging stations. Furthermore, they’ve simplified permitting processes for new EV chargers, streamlining the expansion.
“The infrastructure is an important part of it because people would like to have a good experience,” Tal concluded.
