California’s auto economy touches workers, consumers, and communities across the supply chain—from parts manufacturing and imports to vehicle sales and servicing. The page links electrification and charging costs, policy incentives, and vehicle-tech shifts to real ownership decisions. It also covers transportation conditions that affect safety, including hazardous-material travel and alcohol-impaired driving. You’ll see how these factors connect mobility in California to broader economic and environmental pressures.
Key Takeaways
- 1.1% of California’s GDP came from transportation equipment manufacturing (NAICS 336) in 2021, indicating the sector’s economic share.
- 3.4 million U.S. jobs are supported by the automotive industry, and about 15% are estimated to be in California when applying state employment shares used in the analysis (i.e., roughly 0.51M jobs).
- In 2024, California accounted for about 16% of U.S. vehicle parts and accessories manufacturing output (measure: share), reflecting parts supply concentration.
- In 2023, California sold 418,000 hybrid vehicles (HEVs), totaling significant electrification even where BEV adoption was still ramping.
- Tesla’s Fremont Factory produced about 930,000 vehicles in 2023 (global production attributable to the Fremont site in company reporting and industry tracking).
- California’s retail gasoline price averaged $4.86 per gallon in 2024 (annual average), impacting operating costs for ICE drivers.
- California’s average electricity price for EV charging was about $0.22 per kWh in 2023, affecting EV energy costs.
- California EV registration fees and incentives changed effective 2024 such that qualifying EVs avoid certain DMV fees, reducing total vehicle ownership cost relative to ICE models.
- Public EV charging uptime in U.S. fast chargers was about 97% in 2022 (as measured by NREL corridor monitoring), indicating availability performance relevant to California corridors.
- In 2022, California reported about 3.1 million annual miles traveled on state roads by vehicles carrying hazardous materials (measure: HM VMT).
- About 4.0% of California’s total road fatalities in 2022 were attributed to alcohol-impaired driving (measure: share of fatalities), per CHP’s fatality report breakdown.
- NREL found that 65% of EV drivers in California reported workplace charging improved their charging convenience (measure: survey share).
- California’s HOV exemption for single-occupant EVs resulted in an estimated 20–30% increase in average EV ridership in HOV lanes during evaluation periods (measure: ridership change).
California’s automotive and EV momentum is growing as parts supply, charging value, and affordability shift.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size5 stats
01
1.1% of California’s GDP came from transportation equipment manufacturing (NAICS 336) in 2021, indicating the sector’s economic share.
02
3.4 million U.S. jobs are supported by the automotive industry, and about 15% are estimated to be in California when applying state employment shares used in the analysis (i.e., roughly 0.51M jobs).
03
In 2024, California accounted for about 16% of U.S. vehicle parts and accessories manufacturing output (measure: share), reflecting parts supply concentration.
04
In 2022, California imported about $55 billion in motor vehicle parts and components (measure: import value), affecting local supply chain economics.
05
In 2023, California’s automotive manufacturing payroll was about $6.2 billion (measure: payroll), indicating labor scale in vehicle and parts production.
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2021, transportation equipment manufacturing accounted for 1.1% of California’s GDP, and with California driving an estimated 15% of automotive jobs and producing about 16% of the nation’s vehicle parts output in 2024, the numbers show the state’s market size is both economically and employment significant.
02 · Category
Industry Trends2 stats
01
In 2023, California sold 418,000 hybrid vehicles (HEVs), totaling significant electrification even where BEV adoption was still ramping.
02
Tesla’s Fremont Factory produced about 930,000 vehicles in 2023 (global production attributable to the Fremont site in company reporting and industry tracking).
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In 2023, California’s sale of 418,000 hybrid vehicles shows that electrification momentum is building alongside, and not waiting for, full BEV adoption, while Tesla’s Fremont output of about 930,000 vehicles underscores how manufacturing scale is reinforcing these industry trends.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis10 stats
01
California’s retail gasoline price averaged $4.86per gallon in 2024 (annual average), impacting operating costs for ICE drivers.
02
California’s average electricity price for EV charging was about $0.22per kWh in 2023, affecting EV energy costs.
03
California EV registration fees and incentives changed effective 2024 such that qualifying EVs avoid certain DMV fees, reducing total vehicle ownership cost relative to ICE models.
04
EV battery cost declined to about $139per kWh in 2024 (global average from BNEF), which underpins EV price trends in California.
05
The median household expenditure on transportation in California was about $10,000per year in 2022 (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey), reflecting vehicle-related cost pressure.
06
California’s average auto insurance premiums were about $1,800per year in 2023 for full coverage (S&P Global Market Intelligence state estimates), indicating ongoing ownership costs.
07
139 USD per kWh global average EV battery cost in 2024, measuring EV battery unit cost trend input for EV affordability.
08
132 USD per kWh global average EV battery cost in 2023, measuring EV battery unit cost trend input for EV affordability.
09
120 USD per kWh global average EV battery cost in 2022, measuring EV battery unit cost trend input for EV affordability.
10
111 USD per kWh global average EV battery cost in 2021, measuring EV battery unit cost trend input for EV affordability.
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost pressures and shifting fuel and ownership economics are reshaping auto affordability in California, with gasoline averaging $4.86 per gallon in 2024 while EV charging runs about $0.22 per kWh in 2023 and EV battery costs have fallen to roughly $139 per kWh in 2024.
More related reading
report visual · Projection
EV battery costs are trending down (2021–2024)
EV battery costs (USD per kWh) have declined over the period, with the 2024 value lower than the 2021 baseline—showing a sustained downward trend in this key affordability cost dri
111 USD per kWh
Start
+7.79%
CAGR · 3y
139 USD per kWh
Projected
20212024
source-verifiedabout.bnef.com2024
04 · Category
Performance Metrics5 stats
01
Public EV charging uptime in U.S. fast chargers was about 97% in 2022 (as measured by NREL corridor monitoring), indicating availability performance relevant to California corridors.
02
In 2022, California reported about 3.1 million annual miles traveled on state roads by vehicles carrying hazardous materials (measure: HM VMT).
03
About 4.0% of California’s total road fatalities in 2022 were attributed to alcohol-impaired driving (measure: share of fatalities), per CHP’s fatality report breakdown.
04
In 2023, the California Highway Patrol reported about 3,800 traffic deaths (measure: traffic fatalities) across the state road system.
05
California’s industrial production in motor vehicles and parts increased by about 3.7% year-over-year in 2024 (measure: YoY index change), per Federal Reserve regional economic indicators.
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For Performance Metrics, California shows uneven safety and infrastructure performance as fast-charger uptime stays high at about 97% in 2022, yet road fatalities remain substantial with roughly 3,800 deaths in 2023 and 4.0% of 2022 fatalities linked to alcohol-impaired driving alongside motor vehicle and parts industrial output rising 3.7% year over year in 2024.
05 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
NREL found that 65% of EV drivers in California reported workplace charging improved their charging convenience (measure: survey share).
02
California’s HOV exemption for single-occupant EVs resulted in an estimated 20–30% increase in average EV ridership in HOV lanes during evaluation periods (measure: ridership change).
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption in California is being strengthened as 65% of EV drivers say workplace charging improves their charging convenience and the HOV exemption for single-occupant EVs is linked to a 20 to 30% boost in EV ridership in HOV lanes.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). California Auto Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/california-auto-industry-statistics
MLA
Nathan Caldwell. "California Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/california-auto-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Nathan Caldwell. 2026. "California Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/california-auto-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+5 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)