California has reached a new milestone in zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) adoption, with nearly one-third of all new vehicles sold in the state now being clean cars. Governor Gavin Newsom commented on the achievement, stating, “This is unprecedented – we’re nearing a third of all new vehicles sold in the fourth largest economy on the planet being clean cars. We’re setting new records because this state believes in innovation, not isolation. While Trump sells out American innovation to China, California will keep charging ahead on our path to a future of cleaner air.”
Nancy Skinner, California Energy Commissioner, emphasized the significance of this progress: “This is a defining moment for California’s ZEV progress and sends a clear message to Washington: ZEVs are here to stay. The work and investments by the California Energy Commission (CEC), and its agency and industry partners, to expand the state’s network of EV chargers has resulted in nearly every Californian living within 10 minutes of an EV fast charger. Now, new EV owners can enjoy a great driving experience bidding goodbye to smelly gas stations, messy oil changes, and costly engine tune-ups.”
Lauren Sanchez, Chair of the California Air Resources Board, also highlighted California’s leadership: “While the federal government stumbles backward with reckless rollbacks and short-sighted policies, California charges ahead lighting the path to a cleaner, more prosperous future. From pioneering clean transportation in the 1970s to becoming the world’s 4th largest economy today, we’ve proven time and again that protecting air quality and the climate isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s smart economic policy.”
The variety of ZEV options continues to grow; there were 146 models available in Q1 compared to 105 models at this time last year. In Q3 alone, Californians purchased 124,755 ZEVs—of which 108,685 were electric vehicles—marking an almost 30% increase in EV sales over Q2 2025.
California recently adopted regulations requiring reliability standards and reporting for EV chargers—the first such rules in the country. These measures aim to improve publicly funded fast charger reliability statewide and ensure accurate operational reporting.
Additionally, at its October meeting, the CEC approved two projects under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program that will result in construction of 64 fast chargers along major highways. The commission also approved funding agreements for repairing non-operational public chargers and installing new ones at those sites as well as grants exceeding $10 million for more than 1,000 Level 2 charging ports across affordable housing complexes.
To further encourage ZEV adoption among low-income residents, grants and rebates are available through state programs.
There are now over 200,000 publicly accessible charging stations across California located at various places including grocery stores and park-and-ride lots. Shared private chargers can be found at apartment complexes and workplaces among other locations with restricted access. This infrastructure supplements approximately 800,000 home-installed EV chargers throughout single-family residences.
The CEC continues its role as California’s main energy policy agency with responsibilities including advancing energy policy goals such as supporting renewable energy development and transforming transportation.
