Zero-Emission Vehicles Reach 19.1% of California New-Car Sales in Q3; Nearly 12,000 First-Time Buyers Use MyFirstEV
SACRAMENTO — Zero-emission vehicles accounted for 19.1% of new-car sales in California in the third quarter of 2026, the governor's office announced on October 16. Nearly 12,000 Californians have bought their first zero-emission vehicle through MyFirstEV, the first-time buyer program launched in August by Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Air Resources Board, and cumulative ZEV sales in the state are approaching 2.8 million. Battery-electric vehicles alone made up 16.3% of new-car sales, compared with 6.4% nationwide, and 145 light-duty electric models are currently offered in the California market.
MyFirstEV offers first-time ZEV buyers $3,500 off a new vehicle with an MSRP of up to $50,000, or $1,750 off a used vehicle priced up to $25,000, applied at the point of sale. The state and the Legislature put up $135.5 million for the program, matched dollar-for-dollar by automakers for a total of $271 million. Toyota is separately offering returning EV owners $2,500 through its MyNextEV and MyLexusEV programs.
"Twelve thousand Californians bought their first electric car and said goodbye to the gas pump," Newsom said. His office described the program as a follow-on measure after the expiration of the federal EV tax credit, aimed at keeping first-time buyers able to afford an electric vehicle.
On charging, a California Energy Commission assessment counts 224,438 public and limited-access charging ports statewide, including about 23,000 DC fast chargers, plus an estimated 1.2 million home chargers. Against a projected need of 478,000 ports for 6.8 million EVs by 2030, the state says it is nearly halfway there.
The governor's office also released a 2026 Zero-Emission Vehicle Market Development Strategy from the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, built around four pillars. The state says it has invested about $6.6 billion in the sector since 2021, with more than 25,600 people working directly in ZEV manufacturing at 52 California manufacturers.
California Energy Commissioner Nancy Skinner said that despite federal policy changes, California drivers continue to shift to electric vehicles, and that MyFirstEV gives first-time buyers a way to join that trend and use the state's charging network.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 加州一处ChargePoint公共充电站（资料图）｜A ChargePoint charging station in California (file photo). Photo: Kowloonese, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
