California EV gross sales elevated once more in 2022, with Tesla as soon as once more taking the lead. However may different automakers’ expanded EV gross sales threaten Tesla’s top-dog standing?
Firstly, 2022 was one other good yr for zero-emission car (ZEV) gross sales in California. This week, the California Vitality Fee (CEC) reported 345,818 new light-duty ZEV gross sales for the yr, together with 292,496 battery-electric autos, 50,748 plug-in hybrids, and a couple of,574 fuel-cell autos.
The EV complete represents 16% of 2022 California new-vehicle gross sales, persevering with the momentum from mid-2022, when EVs cracked 15% of the car market in California for the primary time.
2023 Tesla Mannequin Y – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
Tesla offered 212,586 autos in California in 2022, representing 73% of the EV complete for the yr. The automaker’s lineup additionally locked out the highest slots. The Mannequin 3 was the bestselling EV in California in 2022 with 94,683 gross sales, adopted by the Mannequin Y (93,872), Mannequin X (13,319) and Mannequin S (10,712).
After Tesla, the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV mixed are a distant second, then the Mustang Mach-E, then Hyundai Ioniq 5. However every of these fashions have been lower than 10,000 gross sales for the yr—even decrease than the Mannequin X or Mannequin S individually. Ford additionally delivered simply 2,233 F-150 Lightning pickups in California final yr, regardless of obvious enthusiasm for that mannequin.
But Tesla’s 2022 California gross sales figures additionally trace at a decline towards the tip of the yr. The automaker had 78% of the California EV market in Q1 2022, however 73% for the yr general. However 2021 outcomes from the identical interface, no, it does not seem that Tesla’s lead is shrinking fairly but, and we’re nonetheless ready for a single automaker to scale up in the identical means.
2023 Tesla Mannequin X – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
Different automakers might want to considerably ramp up their efforts to satisfy California’s formidable targets. The state nonetheless plans to put an finish to new internal-combustion car gross sales by 2035—in the event you do not contemplate plug-in hybrids.
Even with that coverage in place, it will take a very long time for the fleet to show over. EVs at present make up simply 1.7% of the light-duty car inhabitants in California, in keeping with the CEC. So gasoline and diesel autos will possible stay on the street lengthy after the cutoff date for new-vehicle gross sales.
