Data Source: Zero Emission Vehicle and Infrastructure Statistics, California Energy Commission; E-4 Population Estimates, California Department of Finance.
Analysis by CEC Economics
Highlights
- The vehicle ownership rate (excluding ZEVs) continues to drop precipitously, reaching a new low of 69.5% in 2024.37 This average vehicle ownership rate (excluding ZEVs) has been markedly lower in the 2020s (71.5% from 2020 to 2024) compared to the previous decades. The average ownership rates were 73.7% in the 2010s and 73.8% in the 2000s. The recent shift is important as it signals the electrification of the transportation sector, California’s largest greenhouse gas emitting sector, is picking up momentum as consumers increasingly choose electric and electrified vehicles over internal combustion engine vehicles.
- For the first time, the number of ZEVs registered (1,899,831) exceeded the number of hybrid electric vehicles registered (1,758,070) in 2024. In other words, there were 4.8 ZEVs registered per 100 California residents compared to 4.4 hybrid vehicles in 2024. The number of ZEVs registered per capita has increased significantly in the last few years from only 1.4 ZEVs registered per 100 Californians in 2019.
37 ZEVs are defined as battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).
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