California sets electrical standards
The million mark
Electrify America
© press-inform – the press office
Like many other nations, Germany is lagging behind when it comes to electric cars and has not yet been able to meet the targets it has set itself. The US state of California is the first to have one million electric vehicles registered.
The federal state on the Pacific is already one of the most important industrial nations in the world. For decades, California has also boasted of being the greenest of all US states. Now, for the first time, electric cars have surpassed the one million mark. The number includes all vehicles that are on the road with a plug and are therefore purely electric cars and plug-in hybrids. Years ago, California was also the leader in normal hybrids, because some Lexus models and the eco-friendly Toyota Prius sold particularly well. However, normal hybrid vehicles no longer play a role in the portfolios of most car manufacturers, and plug-in hybrids are also coming under increasing pressure from vehicles with purely electric drives.
One million electric cars is a powerful number in the state where there are a particularly large number of luxury models on the road. Around a quarter of these new registrations were generated in 2021 alone. After years of struggling with electrified vehicles, more and more Americans are ready to make the switch, and trends like this often start in the model state of California in the USA. But the road to one million electric vehicles was longer than many expected, because it ultimately took eleven years before the mark was cracked. As of December 31, 2021, there were 663,014 electric cars and 379,125 plug-in hybrids registered in California. Almost 184,000 electric cars and 63,000 plug-ins will come from 2021. That is around twelve percent of all cars sold in California.
Many people associate electric cars in the USA and California in particular with Tesla and the Tesla Roadster and the volume starter Model S. However, the trend towards electromobility began at the end of 2010 with the compact models Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt. Tesla’s Model S only played a real role from 2012/2013. But the US is not California or vice versa, so it is not surprising that 75 percent of all battery electric vehicles on the US market have been sold in California to date. The population is considered to be significantly more affluent than in most other states and the otherwise ubiquitous full-size pick-ups such as the Ford F-150 or a Chevrolet Silverado can also be seen in Palm Springs, San Diego or in the heavily populated Bay Area , but they play a much smaller role elsewhere. Beginning in 2035, California will no longer be allowed to sell new vehicles powered solely by an internal combustion engine.
In a gigantic agglomeration like Los Angeles, there is also an important advantage on the crowded highways. The drivers of such electric models are also likely to use the preferred car pool lane if they are alone in the car. In general, this lane, which often leads past the traffic jams, may only be used if there are several people in the car. Anyone who violates this must pay penalties of up to 341 US dollars. In everyday commuting to work or shopping, the Car Pool Lane is a real advantage in terms of time and a selling point that should not be underestimated.
After Tesla set the tone among electric cars for many years with its Model S and then the significantly cheaper double pack of Model 3 and Model Y, the competitors are now catching up. This applies not only to the Asian manufacturers Toyota and Nissan, but also to home players such as Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge, who are coming up with more and more electric models. Many look at the large pick-ups that dominate sales statistics in the USA. For more than 40 years, Ford’s F-Series has been the best-selling car, ahead of competitors like the Chevrolet Silverado or a Dodge Ram. These models are now also becoming electric and so the California trend could spread to other states. Wouldn’t be the first time California is the origin of a mega trend. Last but not least, German manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche, who are increasingly bringing electric models to the USA, are also relying on this.