California consumers are showing two different instincts on electric vehicles at once. Rising gasoline prices appear to be pushing more shoppers toward plug-in cars, even as many voters resist a possible future requirement to purchase one.
That tension is surfacing at a pivotal moment for California, which has long viewed cleaner cars as central to its future.
Here's what to know
According to a new POLITICO survey of 2,418 registered California voters, most respondents said the state should not continue toward its 2035 goal of ending sales of new gas-powered vehicles. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish from Sept. 8 to Sept. 14.
GV Wire reported that views varied sharply by party, noting that support for staying with the phaseout reached 49% among Democrats but only 7% among Republicans. Opposition, meanwhile, stood at 32% among Democrats, 90% among Republicans, and 57% among independents.
Overall, the findings indicate voters may be more comfortable with policies that encourage EV adoption than with rules that require it. And as gasoline prices rise around the world and especially in California, where they now average over $6 per gallon, it may not even take that much encouragement anyway to nudge people to at least move toward hybrid and plug-in hybrid options if they don't feel ready for full EVs.
More background
New sales data suggest EV demand in California is picking up again, even as backing for the 2035 phaseout softens. The California Energy Commission reported that EVs and plug-in hybrids made up 19.1% of new vehicle sales in the state from April through June.
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Compared with the first quarter of 2026, that share was up 3.3 percentage points.
The increase from April through June still leaves California below its earlier peak. In summer 2025, EVs and plug-in hybrids accounted for nearly 30% of new vehicle sales as buyers rushed to secure $7,500 federal tax credits before those credits expired earlier than expected.
The state remains far ahead of the national market. Nationwide, EVs account for 5.8% of new vehicle sales.
What's being done?
Trends in California suggest interest grows when drivers can point to an immediate payoff, such as tax credits, lower operating costs, or some protection from gas-price swings.
"When we asked this question in previous polls, there was a much higher number of people who said 'no, stick with the plan to phase out gas engines.' But now, partly because of what's going on in the world, that support has disappeared," said Jack Citrin, a political science professor and co-director of the UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research-POLITICO poll.
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