California’s surge in EV sales has stalled — so what happens to its landmark mandate?

Sales of electric cars in California stabilized last year, slowing the state's progress in meeting its mandate to phase out gas-powered cars. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters

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California’s push to electrify its cars is facing a potentially serious problem: People aren’t buying electric cars fast enough. 

After three straight years of strong growth, sales have stabilized in California, raising questions about whether the state will fail to meet its groundbreaking mandate banning sales of gas-powered vehicles.

About a quarter — 25.3% — of all new cars registered in California in 2024 were zero emissions, just slightly more than 25% in 2023, according to new California Energy Commission data. The flat sales follow several years of rapid growth — in 2020, only one in 13 cars sold was zero-emissions. Their share of California’s market is now three times larger than four years ago.

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