CA hits EV target ahead of schedule. It’s not the first place to do so, and won’t be the last
California has reached 1.5 million electric vehicle sales two years ahead of its planned 2025 target for the sales milestone, according to the California Energy Commission.
With EV demand soaring, California is not the first place to reach its EV sales goals early, and it won’t be the last.
The 2025 target was originally set in 2012 by then-Governor Jerry Brown. At the time, there was only one fully-electric vehicle for sale in California, the Nissan Leaf, with the Tesla Model S set to come out later that year. The Tesla Roadster had previously been for sale from 2008-2011 (though the company still had a few vehicles in inventory at the time).
At the time, the number of electric vehicles in California numbered in the thousands, nearly all of which had been sold in the preceding year, 2011. So an increase by three orders of magnitude seemed a tall order.
And yet, like many of California’s environmental targets, the state has arrived ahead of schedule.
California’s EV market share for new cars so far this year stands at 21%, the highest in the US. This represents 40% of all zero-emission vehicles sold in the US. California has historically been responsible for about half of the total US EV share. In the US as a whole, EVs made up 5.6% of sales in 2022.
As of the end of Q1 2023, California now has 1,523,966 total EV sales, with 1,051,456 of those being battery-electric and the remainder mostly PHEVs, with some fuel cell cars mixed in. In Q1, a total of 124,053 EVs were sold, so the 1.5 million sales milestone was crested early this year.
The milestone has been aided by a total of $2 billion in zero-emission vehicle incentives distributed by the state over the years. That said, this is small in comparison to the estimated $649 billion in explicit and implicit subsidies that fossil fuels get every year in the US as a whole.
California’s early achievement echoes that of Norway, which targeted an end to gas car sales in 2025, but was already basically there four years ahead of schedule. It may take some time for them to completely disappear, but as of 2022, ICE-only vehicles constituted less than 7% of total car sales in Norway.
Sales of ICE cars are so sparse in Norway that some companies have had to hastily pull their gas cars from the market, with Hyundai giving only a couple of days’ notice before ending ICE car sales nationwide.
And in China, despite a slow start, consumers are now rapidly adopting EVs. The country’s EV share has risen more steeply than in many other nations, leaving ICE-powered vehicles from foreign automakers rotting on lots, unsellable due to customer disinterest and looming emissions rules changes. Toyota’s new CEO recognized today that they have fallen behind in China.
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a planned 2035 ban on ICE-only vehicles in 2020. The ban was finalized last year, keeping the same 2035 target, though loosening it slightly to allow some PHEVs. And nationally, last week the EPA announced new emissions rules which could result in 67% of new car sales being electric in the US by 2032. However, the EPA stopped short of adopting California’s 2035 ban and instead set its regulation as a technology-agnostic emissions target, rather than a mandate of particular technologies.
Electrek’s Take
This is going to become a pattern elsewhere in the world, where lukewarm projections of EV demand will continue to catch companies and governments with their pants down (which is why we said “why not sooner?” to CA’s 2035 target).
For many years, automakers have assured us that EV demand just wasn’t there, and they’ve been proven wrong time and time again. It is clear that EV demand is much higher than anyone expected – well, anyone except for the EV-only manufacturers, us at Electrek, and various other EV advocates, who have all been shouting from the rooftops that this would happen and that manufacturers need to be ready.
And since manufacturing takes a long time to spin up, and car development has a several-year lead time, automakers need to be ready – not just for current demand but for demand years in the future.
Every EV target that gets met years ahead of schedule represents another warning to the industry that they need to be ready to accelerate their plans, lest they cede more market share to the automakers that are already prepared for EV demand – namely, the EV-only brands.
Even the EPA’s targets, which are strong but which we at Electrek consider to be eminently reachable and perhaps could be even stronger, are an acceleration from President Biden’s targets two years ago. The EPA decided that, due to advancements in technology, legislation, and the market, 50% was too low of a target for 2030 and that the US could reach 60% by then.
This 60% target means incumbent auto manufacturers will need to increase their 2030 production targets by about a third to keep up. We estimate that there is a gap of about 2 million cars in 2030 which will need to be filled with EVs that manufacturers are currently not planning to build.
But if market demand exceeds even those EPA targets, which it may well do given this history of regions exceeding EV goals, then manufacturers may have to commit to even higher EV percentages.
In short: manufacturers who have historically ignored EVs will continue to do so at their peril. Every piece of data we see shows that EVs are coming faster than the traditional industry expects, and despite a decade of confirmations showing this, many manufacturers still aren’t ready. If they want to survive, they need to step it up.
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On today’s extreme episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got the most affordable new EV in America packing 255 miles of range, sub-30 minute charging, V2H support, and more – all that for a price about $10,000 LESS than that new “affordable” Tesla.
We’ve also got specs for the all-new, all-electric Ferrari Elettrica and a world’s first, hydrogen-powered autonomous farm tractor from Kubota.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Climate XChange, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies. The nonprofit just kicked off its 10th annual EV raffle, where participants have multiple opportunities to win their dream model. Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to learn more.
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Momentum, the lifestyle-focused urban bike brand under Giant Group, has just launched the latest version of its popular Vida E+ electric bike – and this one’s all about making e-biking smoother, safer, and more accessible to riders of all experience levels.
The updated Vida E+ features a new 500W SyncDrive Move S motor offering 60Nm of torque and pedal assist up to 28 mph, designed to provide natural-feeling power whether you’re cruising to work or just exploring around town. The system uses a combination of sensors to analyze torque, speed, and cadence, automatically adjusting power output to match your pedaling effort.
According to Momentum, the motor engages with as little as 4Nm of pedal pressure and just 10° of crank movement, giving riders what they describe as an ultra-smooth and effortless start every time.
A new optional throttle adds another layer of convenience, letting riders cruise at speeds up to 20 mph without pedaling, which should be perfect for hills, traffic-heavy starts, or when you just want to relax and take it easy on the way home. The bike’s EnergyPak 700 battery provides up to a claimed 55 miles (88 km) of range on pedal assist or 43 miles (69 km) on throttle-only riding.
The Vida E+ also leans hard into comfort and safety. It sports a low-step aluminum frame for easy on-and-off, an 80 mm suspension fork, and wide 26×2.4-inch tires for stability and plushness. Four-piston hydraulic disc brakes ensure solid stopping power, while a new automatic motor cutoff feature stops assistance as soon as the brakes engage. The bike is UL 2849 certified, meaning it meets top-tier safety standards for batteries and electronics, which is a growing priority in the e-bike world as more cities and states consider requiring safety certification as a prerequisite.
With support for up to 300 pounds (136 kg) total load and optional racks front and rear, the Vida E+ is also built for everyday utility. And on the tech side, momentum’s RideControl app lets riders fine-tune speed and assistance, lock or unlock the bike electronically, and monitor battery health.
The new Momentum Vida E+ is available now through Giant Group’s nationwide dealer network with an MSRP of US$2,480.
Returning from a recall on its previous bike, Giant Group will now have an opportunity to see how the new version of the Momentum Vida E+ will fare.
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VW’s US EV lease deals just went from hero to zero. Federal tax credits are now dead, the automaker has wiped out up to $12,000 in lease incentives on the ID.4, and ended $10,500 in discounts on the ID. Buzz. The move bucks the trend as other brands continue to sweeten their EV lease offers.
As of September 30, 2025, Volkswagen offered up to $12,350 in lease cash on the ID.4, depending on configuration. That included a $7,500 federal lease tax credit for lessees as Bonus Customer Cash, plus $3,500 to $4,850 in Dealer Lease Cash. It made the ID.4 one of the top EV lease deals around.
On October 1, those incentives vanished. While the ID.4 still has a 0% APR equivalent lease rate, drivers lost more than $12,000 in savings overnight. The ID. Buzz took a similar hit. Last month, the 2025 ID. Buzz offered $10,500 off MSRP between the $7,500 tax credit and $3,000 Dealer Lease Cash. Now, almost all lease cash is gone. VW Credit is offering just $750 in Dealer Lease Cash, and weirdly, not on models with two-tone paint. According to CarsDirect’s lease calculator, the lowest-priced ID. Buzz trim now carries an effective monthly cost topping $1,000 — a considerable jump.
For comparison, the ID. Buzz Pro S was previously advertised at $589 a month for 36 months with $5,999 due at signing, or an effective monthly cost of $756.
The ID.4 lease once cost just $233 a month, making it one of the cheapest EVs to lease. According to updated estimates, that figure is now north of $800 – that’s hair-raising.
Meanwhile, VW’s rivals are going in the opposite direction. Ford extended its Mustang Mach-E lease deals through early January. Subaru’s updated 2026 Solterra still qualifies for the $7,500 lease credit, and Jeep replaced the expiring EV lease credit with equivalent bonus cash.
If you really want a Volkswagen, though, there’s some good news: financing deals haven’t changed. The 2025 ID.4 continues to offer 0% APR for 72 months, and buyers of the ID. Buzz can still get up to $3,250 in Bonus Customer Cash through November 3, a perk unavailable to lessees.
It kinda seems like VW doesn’t want to lease their EVs anymore…?? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Read more: From $189 a month: 5 of the best EV lease deals in October
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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