Tesla sales are cratering in California but there are now thousands of Cybertrucks roaring across the Golden State
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