10 Electric Vehicles Beating Gas Competitors in California

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Last Updated on: 20th March 2025, 01:19 am

I covered some of the biggest California EV sales stats and stories yesterday. Naturally, they revolve around Tesla, as Tesla accounts for more than 50% of EV sales in California, and is the second highest selling auto brand in the state overall (only behind Toyota). However, there are several other electric cars that have been performing exceptionally well in the Golden State. Let’s stroll through them and their accomplishments here. I will go in order of the EVs with the highest volumes.

It may be only 3rd on this category’s top sellers list, but this is a huge category. The Hyundai IONIQ 5 is in fact the 3rd best selling electric vehicle in California, and the best selling non-Tesla.

It’s no shame that the IONIQ 5 only got the bronze in the “compact SUV” category, as the top two models are the 2nd and 6th best selling models of any kind in the state. Hopefully the IONIQ 5 can find a way to climb up that ranking (I know, it’s still a big climb), but for now, let’s celebrate the EV beating the Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Rogue, and every other compact SUV on the California market.

Next up we get the Ford Mustang Mach-E taking the silver medal in the “2-row midsize SUV” category, and the new Honda Prologue jumping right into 5th (that Honda brand name goes a long way, even when it’s essentially a Chevrolet underneath). The Mustang Mach-E, as it turns out, is the 4th best selling electric vehicle in the state, only trailing the Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, and Hyundai IONIQ 5. Unfortunately, it didn’t have enough power in 2024 to beat the Subaru Outback, the #1 best selling model in this category, but maybe one day. In the meantime, it beat every other 2-row midsize SUV. I do think the Honda Prologue will rise up the ranking, though, and the Honda brand may well boost it above the Mustang Mach-E. We’ll see.

Hey, here we go — finally another category winner! The Rivian R1S, as you can see, actually demolishes the competition in the “large luxury SUV” category. It had more than twice as many sales as the #2 Cadillac Escalade. Well done, Rivian. Imagine what kind of volumes the R2 and R3 could see!

Down in the “luxury midsize SUV” category, no EV is on the podium any longer, but the Tesla Model X and BMW iX come in 4th and 5th. Maybe one of them will earn a podium position in 2025.

In a much smaller category, the Mercedes EQB did win gold, and the Audi Q4 e-tron bronze, in the “luxury subcompact SUV” category. Not too shabby.

Last but not least — actually, wait, I did order this by sales volumes, so this is the least of the categories. Nonetheless, we again have to electric models in the top 5! The Tesla Model S takes 1st place and the BMW i5 takes 5th place (ironically).

That’s quite a lot of diverse EV leadership in the California auto market. I’d bet it will get even more diverse in 2025.