San Diego among top U.S. markets in EV-friendly homes
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San Diego is one of the top markets in the U.S. for homes equipped with electric-vehicle chargers, an increasingly popular feature.
Why it matters: California utilities including San Diego Gas & Electric are revamping how they bill for electricity — specifically to encourage EV adoption and in anticipation of residents using significantly more electricity as the state pushes to decarbonize.
- Two years ago, California's Air Resources Board mandated that by 2035, all new cars and light trucks sold in California must meet zero-emission standards, Axios San Francisco's Megan Rose Dickey writes.
By the numbers: About 2.6% of homes for sale in San Diego last year were EV friendly — a small share of the market but good for sixth-highest among large metros in the country, according to a new report from Realtor.com.
- Six of the nine largest market shares were in California.
State of play: Nationwide, EV-friendly homes for sale haven't even reached a 1% share yet, but have risen from 0.1% to 0.9% in the past five years.
- Unsurprisingly, the share of EV-friendly homes in a market tracks with EV ownership rates.
Reality check: The shift away from internal-combustion-engine cars has been slower and messier than many hoped, and the EV sector's growth rate in the first quarter of this year slid all the way to 2.7% from 47% a year earlier, Axios' Joann Muller reported.
- Americans bought 1.2 million EVs last year — or 7.6% of all new cars sold — per Cox Automotive's Kelley Blue Book.
- EVs represented 5.9% of new cars sold in 2022.
The big picture: Home chargers are often more convenient than public ones, and faster than the charging cables that come with most EVs.
- Typical installation runs $500-$1,300, depending on the home.
- SDG&E offers a menu of plans for at-home EV charging.
Zoom in: San Diego's long-term, climate action plan calls for it to largely rid the city fleet of non-EVs, with all light-duty vehicles expected to run on electricity by 2035, along with 75% of heavy-duty vehicles.
Note: Cox Automotive's parent company, Cox Enterprises, also owns Axios.