In a push to 100% EV sales, Tal says low-income populations and other marginalized groups have the potential to be left behind, meaning a combination of government regulations and market factors need to push automakers to create cheap-to-buy, cheaper-to-run vehicles.

Gil Tal, director of the Electric Vehicle Research Center at UC Davis, said removing the spare probably increases an electric car’s range by “point something” percent. “If it’s a 400-mile car, it’s [an extra] mile or two,” he said.

Zero-emissions vehicle sales hit a new high last quarter, making up 25% of all cars sold statewide, according to the California Energy Commission.

A study by the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis found that more than half of the users were low-income residents and were more likely to have physical limitations.