During the first quarter of 2025, Californians purchased 100,326 zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) representing 23% of all new vehicle sales in the state. This marks a slight decrease (-2.61%) in overall sales year-over-year compared to the first quarter of 2024, which was a record Q1 for the state. California eclipsed the 2 million ZEVs sold mark in 2024.

The slight decline in ZEV sales in California was driven by a 21.5% drop in Tesla registrations compared to Q1 2024. Despite this drop, non-Tesla electric vehicle (EV) registrations grew by 14%.

The EV market is diversifying in California, with 147 EV models available in Q1, up from 105 models in Q1 of last year. More than 30% of new ZEVs sold in the US are sold in California, according to the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

While California ZEV sales experienced a decline in Q1 2025, EVs were trending upward nationwide in Q1, with an increase of 11.4% year-over-year, according to Kelley Blue Book. The used EV market is also trending upward with Carvana reporting an 182% increase in used EV sales in 2024 year-over-year.

Last week, California announced a multi-state lawsuit challenging actions taken by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to withhold billions of dollars approved by Congress to expand electric vehicle infrastructure. FHWA’s actions would cost the state more than $300 million.