According to the latest California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) Outlook for 2025, the Tesla Cybertruck zipped up the list of top-selling battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles this year to sixth place. Last quarter, the Cybertruck was in eighth place and ranked 12th the quarter before. The metallic-trapezoid truck was a lone bright spot for the electric vehicle maker in a sea of data, provided by Experian Automotive, that showed significant market erosion for Tesla in California. Total registrations of Tesla cars plummeted 11.6% for the year, and it accounted for 52.5% of zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) registrations in California in 2024, down from 60.1% in 2023.

Overall, new light vehicle registrations in California dropped 0.3% from 2023 to 2024, while the U.S. market as a whole rose by 3.4%. “All of the decrease in the state market last year was attributable to Tesla, which had an 11.6% decline,” the CNCDA wrote in its outlook report. “Registrations for all other brands increased 1.4%.”

Musk’s politics likely caused some of the company’s California business to decline, given Musk’s $288 million contribution to help Trump win office. The Public Policy Institute of California reported the share of Democrats in the state has risen to 46.2% since 2020, compared to the share of Republicans, which rose to 24.7% from 23.8% during the same period.

Source: FORTUNE