California announced this week that in 2022, 18.8 percent of all new vehicles sold in the state were zero emissions vehicles.
Zero emissions vehicles are defined as electric, hydrogen, or plug-in hybrid vehicles, of which automakers sold 345,818 in California in 2022. That’s an increase of 38 percent over 2021, and 138 percent over 2020.
By comparison, just 5.8 percent of vehicles sold across America were ZEVs, the state reports. That means that the state contributed disproportionately to new energy vehicles sales figures. In all, 40 percent of all ZEVs sold in America were sold in California.
Read: California Is Going Mad For Zero Emissions Vehicles In 2022
Despite that, California, with its up to $9,500 of incentives for low-income people, still lagged behind other markets around the globe. For instance, nearly 80 percent of all vehicles sold in Norway were fully electric. In terms of volume, though, the state performs well. In 2021, when EVs made up 65 percent of all vehicle sales in Norway, that amounted to a total of just 113,715, reports Engadget.
In order to grow ZEV sales further, California announced a $2.9 billion investment plan last month. It will accelerate the state’s hydrogen refueling and electric charging infrastructure growth. In November, meanwhile, the California Air Resources Board approved $2.6 billion in investments to support ZEV projects around the state, with 70 percent of the funding going to low-income communities. In addition, buyers will soon benefit from expanded tax incentives from the federal government.
“California continues to lead the zero-emission vehicle revolution with groundbreaking policies and investments that drive innovation, create good jobs and expand ZEV access and affordability across the state,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “Keeping our focus on the communities that are most impacted by the intensifying climate crisis, we’ll keep pushing ahead to make our clean transportation future a reality in California.”
