Featured Why are so many electric cars (still) only sold in California?

it's definitely the incentives and disincentives, and less the 'california personality', but there is some of that too.

 

California would probably be a state that got 25% of the plug-ins if there were a level playing field. There is not. The higher proportion is because of both higher income, worse traffic, high gas taxes both direct and indirect (regulations that make gas cost more), and better weather for the batteries.

The non-level playing field aspect, is california adds incentives, that federal tax payers highly subsidize, so that certain cars are tailored to the state, and those not tailored but in limited supply flow more to the state.

 

The buzzword is 'compliance cars'.

If you sell more than 20,000 cars in California, you need to sell low emissions vehicles.
Even if you lose money on each one sold, it allows you to sell more profitable cars in a lucrative market.

There are also markets where, even if you can sell at a profit, projected volume will not justify sales. Spare parts, mechanic training, advertising budget,etc. will never be overcome by projected sales.

PIP was never sold throughout the US, I am not sure Prime is.

 

The 1st Quarter 2018 California car sales data is just out today:
https://www.cncda.org/wp-content/uploads/California-Covering-1Q-2018.pdf

I calculate 55% of PHEV sold in CA and 47% of BEV sold in California for the first quarter 2018.
The 55% PHEV is quite a bit higher than in the past, but I've also seen in the past that 1st Quarter does not always hold.

This year I am looking to see if California's move to kick out old plug-in HOV stickers from the HOV lanes is causing an upswing in Ca. sales of new plug-ins.

 

Could it be that CA drivers see smog and thus have unselfish motives to try and reduce their contribution to what forms. CA is unique geographically (well in other ways too). Add all the CARB rules and the traffic (HOV), techies and the other stuff. But some of the buying just could be influenced by them seeing what we all will be seeing.

So manufacturers see compliance and profit, of course. But there is a market for those EVs too.

 

A lot of CA employers willing to install charging stations as perk.... makes buying a plug-in car tempting.