Tesla's EV Reign Continues In California Despite HQ Move

Zero emission vehicle sales in California crossed the 1.5 million mark cumulatively through the first quarter of 2023, with battery electric vehicles becoming the more popular choice among consumers.

What Happened: Of the 1.5 million light-duty zero-emission vehicles sold in the state of California through the first quarter, 1.05 million were battery electric vehicles, as per data from the California Energy Commission.

In the first quarter alone, 124,053 ZEVs were sold in California, accounting for 21.1% of total light-duty vehicles sold. EV giant Tesla Inc TSLA had two best-selling EVs in the state during the quarter.

While Model Y sales in the state touched 33,205 in the quarter, Model 3 sales were at 19,989, while Model X and Model S clocked over 3,900 units in sales. General Motors Co‘s GM Chevrolet Bolt EUV held the third position with sales touching 5,292 in the quarter.

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Previously headquartered in California, Tesla shifted its headquarters to Austin, Texas in 2021. However, in February, Tesla announced that it’s moving its global engineering headquarters to Palo Alto, marking a comeback to California.

The state of California is only a portion of the U.S. but with its large population, at one point in 2020 represented one in every 10 new automobiles sold.

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