May 31, 2016
As part of the AB 32 climate change program, Executive Order B-16-2012 administratively created a goal of 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on California roads by 2025, with a sub-goal that their market share is expanding at that point.
• Sales of all light vehicles continue to increase, although at a decelerating rate. New vehicle registrations in 2016 Q1 were up 3.8% compared to 2015 Q1.
• As fuel prices have declined from the $4 a gallon level and higher in 2013 and 2014, consumers’ buying preferences have shifted back more to light trucks. Similar to the national pattern, new car registrations were down 2.0% in 2016 Q1, while light truck registrations were up 12.5%. Overall, market share for new cars declined from 63% at the beginning of 2013, to 56.6% in Q1 2016. Light trucks went from 37% to 43.4%.
• PEVs saw a small decline in market share, going to 2.8% in Q1 2016 vs. 3.0% in 2015 and the previous high of 3.2% in 2014.
• PEVs and Hybrids combined dropped to 7.6% in Q1 2016 compared to 8.8% in 2015 and the previous high of 9.5% in 2013. Rather than bringing in a wider base of customers, increased PEV sales in part are coming from a shift of the same customer base now willing to buy a PEV instead of a hybrid as additional models have become available.
• New PEV registrations increased only 572 from Q1 2015, to a total of 13,978.