EV sales rebounded in California in Q2 2026, despite US President Donald Trump's persistent attacks on EVs in general, and California in particular (courtesy of California CEC).
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In what world is it normal for a US President to attack an entire state and its residents? The answer is no world, of course, and yet such is the state of affairs in which we live today. Exhibit A is California, upon which President Donald Trump has been waging a ferocious battle to undercut state policy makers. That includes the state’s clean vehicle standards. Try as he might, though, California Governor Gavin Newsom gets the last laugh. EVs racked up a fairly good sales record in Q1 this year, and EV sales in the state continued to rise in Q2.
Trump Targets EV Sales In California
The highlight of President Trump’s war on EVs is his much-touted “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which passed by virtue of his Republican majority in Congress last July, with exactly zero votes from the Democratic side of the aisle. Among other provisions, OBBA called for the premature sunsetting of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. EV sales predictably collapsed in the months following the expiration of the tax credit on September 30, 2025.
