California's push to electrify its cars is facing a potentially serious problem.

People aren't buying electric cars fast enough.

Under California's mandate, 35% of new 2026 car models sold by automakers must be zero emmisions That leaves considerable ground to make up as some 2026 models begin rolling out later this year.

Californians have purchased more than two million electric cars leading the nation.

The number has doubled in about two years but electric car sales, which make up the majority of zero-emission cars, grew by only 1.1% in 2024.

Loren McDonald, Chief Analyst for the charging app Paren, said a major contributor is a shift in consumer demographics.

He said new buyers, often from middle-income households or who live in apartment buildings without easy access to charging, are far less forgiving when it comes to electric cars.

The slower growth comes amid overall market sluggishness, with all auto sales in California dipping slightly last year to 1.75 million.

Although the rules limit what automakers can sell, Californians are not required to buy electric cars.

Manufacturers also can buy credits from automakers that have exceeded the target, companies that only sell electric models such as Tesla or Rivian.

To enforce compliance with California's sales requirements, state officials could impose steep penalties of $20,000 per vehicle on manufacturers that fall short of quotas.

Experts also anticipate that President Trump could eliminate the $7,500 federal tax credit for zero-emission vehicle purchases, which would increase the cost of buying for some electric cars.

Newsom vowed last year to continue offering the incentives through state funding, although that promise came before Los Angeles faced devastating wildfires and the state released its fragile budget earlier this year.

For CalMatters I'm Alejandro Lazo.