Electric Cars For Sale in San Francisco, CA (2024)

FAQs

Is it worth buying electric car in California? ›

From a cost perspective, yes, it is a good time to buy. Federal and state incentives are bringing certain EVs on par with the cost of gas vehicles.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently adopted “Advanced Clean Cars II,” set to take effect January 1, 2025, which would require 100% of new cars sold in Model Year 2035 to be electric vehicles.

As part of the Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, all new passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs sold in California will be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. In October 2023, staff launched a new effort to consider amendments to the Advanced Clean Cars II regulations.

Top models

Two Tesla cars—Model Y and Model 3—are the best-selling ones overall in California. All-electric car registrations [select models] (Jan-Dec 2023): Tesla Model Y (132,636): #1 in Luxury Compact SUV (64.8% share) Tesla Model 3 (82,786): #1 in Near Luxury Cars (52.8% share)

Our Electrify Your Ride EV Rebates can help you save! Get up to a $1,000 rebate for the purchase or lease of a used Battery Electric or Plug-in Hybrid vehicle made on or after January 1, 2023.

Purchasing an electric car can give you a tax credit starting at $2500. Other tax credits are available if the battery size is 5kWh with a cap of $7500 credit if the battery exceeds 16kWh.

Rebate Plus Option: $4,000

Income-qualified applicants may receive $4,000 based on their household level of income for the purchase or lease of a pre-owned EV. Customers who qualify for the Rebate Plus Option, are automatically approved for a $700 rebate for purchasing eligible EV charging equipment.

California and ZEV State Battery Warranty

For applicable vehicles certified for sale in California as a Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) or Transitional Zero Emission Vehicle (TZEV), the battery warranty is mandated at 10 years or 150,000 miles.

Beginning January 1, 2025, the CEC must assess the uptime of EV charging stations. The assessment must include considerations for equitable access to EV charging stations in low-, moderate-, and high-income communities.

Given all the constraints, experts expect gas cars and trucks to be available until at least 2050, though a handful of states will phase them out as soon as 2035. To date, those states include California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington.

Will California have enough electricity for electric cars? ›

New study finds that California's electric grid will not be able to support a costly all-electric vehicle mandate by 2045. Reform California warns that continuing with the reckless mandate will cause blackouts and a massive spike in utility rates and cost-of-living.

May 23 (Reuters) - California has asked the Biden administration to approve its plan to require all new vehicles sold in the state by 2035 to be either electric or plug-in electric hybrids, a landmark move that could speed the end of gasoline-powered vehicles, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

The top-selling electric vehicle in the U.S. is the Tesla Model Y with 394,497 units sold in 2023, according to Cox Automotive data.

Several automakers have said that concerns about driving range and charging infrastructure are increasing. These issues may lead consumers to have second thoughts about buying an EV.

It's estimated that by 2035, California will need more than an additional 2 million chargers to support the electric car transition. According to the air resource board, the number of DC Fast chargers, which can recharge a vehicle battery in about 30 minutes, is growing to meet this demand.

A 2020 Consumer Reports study similarly showed that EV drivers tend to spend about 60 percent less each year on fuel costs compared to drivers of gas-powered cars.

AAA estimates that the electricity needed to drive 15,000 miles per year in a compact EV costs an average of $546. The organization estimates that with a similar gas-powered vehicle, it would cost $1,255 to drive the same distance. Using those estimates, driving an EV can save you $709 in fuel costs annually.

The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) promoted clean vehicle adoption in California by offering rebates from $1,000 to $7,500 for the purchase or lease of new, eligible zero-emission vehicles, including electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell vehicles.