California Alt-Fuel Car Sales Remixed
Zero-emission models take a hit, including Tesla’s, while hybrids take off.

Tesla continues to lose market share in California, where zero-emission vehicle sales in general have fallen so far this year.
Pexels/Kindel Media
California, which leads the U.S. in electric-vehicle sales, saw a continued decline in Tesla brand deliveries in the second quarter.
The EV maker, founded in the Golden State before moving to Texas in 2021, had a seventh straight quarter of sales declines there, said the California New Car Dealers Association, citing Experian Automotive data.
The U.S. EV market leader’s California sales fell 18% year-over-year in the first six months of 2025, or a 2.7-point market share drop, according to the Experian numbers. The decline has led a decrease in zero-emission vehicle sales share in the state so far this year from 22% to about 20%.
California had been on track to ban sales of gas-powered vehicles in 2035 by requiring all new-vehicle sales to be zero-emission models, but in May Congress killed Environmental Protection Agency waivers that would have enabled the change. The state has sued the Trump administration in an effort to reverse the decision.
“Dealers are focused on what Californians are buying, not just what policymakers want them to buy,” said CNCDA Chairman and Camino Real Chevrolet President Robb Hernandez in a press release on the data. “It’s clear many consumers still face barriers to going fully electric, whether that’s due to affordability, lack of infrastructure, or range anxiety.”
Hybrid vehicle sales have skyrocketed in the state this year, rising 54% year-over-year and achieving a 19% market share. When sales of all alternative-fuel vehicles – hybrid, purely electric, and fuel-cell – are added up, they comprise 43% of the state’s new-vehicle market, according to the Experian data.
LEARN MORE: Prius Celebrates Silver U.S. Anniversary
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
More Industry

Pennsylvania Dealership Under New Retailers
The sale of the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store puts a family auto group on a leaner path as first-time dealers take the helm.
Read More →
Battery Storage Takes Priority Over EVs
U.S. automakers are prioritizing battery energy stationary storage over electric-vehicle production as the consumer demand for EVs lags the rest of the world.
Read More →
Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great
A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.
Read More →
New-Vehicle Sales Picture Relative
A May forecast is complicated by last spring’s trade tariff effects on auto retail. Despite continued hard realities, many consumers took advantage of ways to bite the bullet.
Read More →
Auto Group Acquires Third Nissan Rooftop
Iowa-based Coleman Automotive Group recently acquired its seventh dealership, McGrath Nissan, which it renamed Nissan of Elgin.
Read More →
April Less Affordable
Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.
Read More →
Building an Extraordinary F&I Agency
Work to determine your specialized talent, because that fact will determine everything about your agency’s future.
Read More →
Recipe for Compliance
The secret to both amazing barbecue and compliance is the same: understanding the basics and committing to a process.
Read More →
EVs Getting More Attractive
A growing percentage of U.S. consumers are open to switching and fewer are adverse to the idea, according to a recently completed survey. That’s despite the end of a tax break.
Read More →
EV Sales Drop in April Following Surge
North American electric-vehicle sales were down 28% year-over-year, a sharp contrast from global EV sales growth of 6%.
Read More →