Data reported from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that California holds a dominant market share in the sales of electric vehicles (EV) in the United States, though other states are beginning to catch up in sales.
In 2016, California represented 48% of all U.S. EV sales, but in 2022 it represented 37% of the nation’s EV market. Meanwhile, in 2016, about 27% of electric vehicle charging locations were located in California, and that figure has remained relatively flat.
The vehicle stock data includes all registered on-road, light-duty vehicles and excludes any past vehicle sales that are no longer on the road. The EV charging location data includes both private and public access stations for Legacy, Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging ports.
In 2022, the number of EVs on the road was six times greater than in 2016, increasing from 511,600 to 3.1 million in a few years. Charging locations nearly tripled from about 19,000 to over 55,000 during the same timespan. California quadrupled its EV total from 247,000 and 1.1 million over the span.
Despite slipping in total market share, California has about six times as many EVs on the road as the second place state of Florida.
California’s charging locations have been boosted in part by the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) that provides funding for installing publicly available EV charging stations.
EIA said growth in EVs has outpaced EV charging locations in the United States. In 2016 there was an average of 27 EVs per charging location, and by 2022 there were 55 EVs per charging location. New Jersey has the highest imbalance, with 100 EVs per charging location statewide.
The growing mismatch between chargers and EVs may represent a market opportunity for public charging development, though many EV owners opt to charge at home, which can be especially cost effective when paired with rooftop solar.
Read more on pv magazine USA’s coverage of electric vehicles here.
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