The pace of adoption in California picked up significantly once EVs reached 5% of new-car sales, a threshold at which preferences start to flip for mainstream car buyers. California was one of the first major car markets to reach that tipping point, in 2018, and so far 23 countries have been added to the list.
If California were itself a country, it would now rank fourth in terms of overall EV sales; only China, the US and Germany sell more. The pace of adoption in the state shows no signs of slowing, either, with second-quarter EV sales rising 70% over the same period in 2022. The US as a whole is just three years behind California, and currently tracing its path.
