Abstract
California has set a target of achieving 100% zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales by 2035. While the state has made substantial progress, with ZEVs accounting for roughly 25% of new vehicle sales in 2025, adoption remains uneven across communities. Disadvantaged communities (DACs), which face disproportionate exposure to air pollution, continue to lag in ZEV uptake. Most DAC-related policy efforts to date have focused on demand-side interventions, such as consumer purchase incentives, rather than supply-side approaches that increase vehicle availability. Because more than half of ZEV sales in California occur through franchised dealerships, they are a critical gateway through which consumers access these vehicles and may represent an important leverage point for increasing adoption. To better understand the linkage between ZEV adoption and dealerships, the research team examined levels of access to ZEVs at car dealerships across California and rates of ZEV adoption in surrounding areas. Each census tract was assigned a ZEV accessibility score that combined ZEV inventory at nearby dealerships and distance to dealerships. While the study can help determine whether dealership availability is associated with higher rates of nearby ZEV adoption, the results should be interpreted as correlational rather than causational.
