In a recent news release, the California Energy Commission confirmed that in the second quarter of 2026, Californians bought 86,857 new electric vehicles—this accounts for 19.1 percent of new car sales and a 3.3 point jump over the first quarter, the strongest EV share ever recorded without a federal tax credit. The release credits soaring gas prices, and it is right, but it misses the more interesting—and more important—story.
