EV Sales Rebound In Trump’s Nemesis, The Entire State Of California

Electric vehicle sales in California picked up in the second quarter of 2026, even without the federal $7,500 EV tax credit that expired last September. The state's Energy Commission reports that new zero-emission vehicles, a category that includes battery EVs, plug-in hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cell cars, made up 19.1% of new vehicle sales, up 3.3 percentage points from the prior quarter. Of the 86,857 new ZEVs sold, most were full battery EVs. Rising gas prices, tied to a war between the US and Iran that began in late February, appear to be pushing more buyers toward electric.

If you're shopping for a car and thinking about going electric, California has a new incentive worth knowing about. Starting next month, the state's MyFirstEV program will offer first-time EV buyers a $3,500 rebate at the dealership on new vehicles priced up to $50,000, and $1,750 on used EVs up to $25,000. The rebate applies at purchase, so you would not need to wait for tax season to see the savings. Automakers taking part include Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Lucid, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Rivian, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, and Volvo.

This news is specific to California. The federal tax credit is gone nationwide, so if you live elsewhere, any EV incentives available to you now depend entirely on what your own state offers. It's worth checking your state's current programs directly, since rules and rebate amounts vary widely and change often.