Latest news with #CaliforniaNewCarDealersAssociation
Time Out
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Time Out
California is running out of license plate numbers—here's what happens next
It's official: California's love affair with cars is so intense, we're about to literally run out of license plate numbers. After nearly 45 years of the trusty old format—one number, three letters, three numbers (think: 1ABC234)—the California DMV is preparing for a historic switch-up. Starting next year, newly registered vehicles will sport a fresh sequence: three numbers, three letters and one number (something like 123ABC4). Why now? Blame a perfect storm of fast-tracked car sales and a little geopolitical drama. Thanks to fears of soaring vehicle prices triggered by trade wars (yes, tariffs strike again), Californians have been snapping up new cars at record rates. The California New Car Dealers Association reported an 8.3% jump in new vehicle registrations in early 2025 compared to last year. That surge pushed the DMV's plate inventory into the fast lane toward depletion—about a year earlier than expected. For context, California's current numbering system kicked off way back in 1980 with '1AAA000.' It was designed to crank out more than 158 million unique combinations, but 13.2 million cars (and counting) later, even that massive stockpile is drying up. As of now, plates are being issued in the '9UBA000–9UBZ999' range, racing steadily toward the finish line at '9ZZZ999.' And no, you won't suddenly be stuck without a plate. The DMV has the next system lined up and ready to roll. It's a simple reshuffle, not a revolutionary redesign. (Though, seriously, can we please bring back those retro '80s sunset plates already?)
San Francisco Chronicle
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
California is nearly out of license plate numbers. Here's what the DMV is doing next
California's license plates are running out of numbers. For the first time in nearly half a century, the California Department of Motor Vehicles is preparing to roll out a new alphanumeric configuration for standard passenger vehicle plates, a quiet but striking milestone in the state's automotive history. 'The current 9-series configuration, which will end with 9ZZZ999, is projected to end sometime in 2026,' a spokesperson for the agency confirmed Thursday. That sequence, in place since 1980, follows a familiar pattern to millions of Californians: one number, followed by three letters, and three final numbers (e.g., 1ABC234). The next generation of license plates will flip that structure on its head, moving to a 'Numeral Numeral Numeral Alpha Alpha Alpha Numeral' format — such as 000AAA0. The change comes as a result of a faster-than-anticipated acceleration in new car sales. The post-pandemic economy and fears of looming trade policy shifts have sent Californians flocking to dealerships in record numbers. According to the California New Car Dealers Association, 463,114 new vehicles were registered in the state during the first quarter of 2025 alone — an 8.3% increase year-over-year. The spike, the association noted in its April report, was in part 'likely ahead of anticipated tariffs' that could send vehicle prices soaring. 'Looming trade policy changes have thrown a wrench into the outlook,' the report warned. 'A rush of buying in March and April, likely ahead of anticipated tariffs, may be short-lived if vehicle prices spike.' Despite the recent surge, the long-term forecast appears more tempered. Total registrations for 2025 are expected to drop by 2.3%, landing at an estimated 1.71 million. The current license plate series, which began with 1AAA000 more than four decades ago, is now nearing its final permutations, most recently clocking in at 9EWZ999.
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
Tesla's market share in California sinks amid backlash against Elon Musk
Tesla's market share in California sinks amid backlash against Elon Musk Show Caption Hide Caption Elon Musk pauses Tesla orders in China amid trade war Tesla has paused new orders for its Model S and Model X vehicles in China, following the US decision to impose 145% tariffs on Chinese imports. The move signals early fallout from President Trump's escalating trade war. unbranded - Newsworthy Californians further soured on Tesla TSLA.O in the first quarter, pulling down the electric vehicle maker's registrations by 15% as backlash against Elon Musk's company intensified in the state that has embraced EVs most across the United States. The drop-off means Tesla no longer accounts for a majority of the EV market share in the state, according to the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA). There have been relentless protests in many cities in California — echoing the backlash in other countries — against Musk's involvement in U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and his embrace of far-right politics in Europe, a key factor behind Tesla's 13% drop in first-quarter deliveries globally. California's embrace of EVs makes Tesla's falloff more concerning given that overall zero-emission vehicle sales in the state rose 7.3% during the first three months of the year. While Tesla's market share fell to 43.9% from 55.5% a year earlier, brands such as Honda 7267.T, Ford F.N and GM's GM.N Chevrolet grew their footprint. In case you missed it: Musk loses billions as Tesla shares get hammered "An aging product lineup and backlash against Musk's political initiatives are likely key factors for the decline in Tesla BEV market share," the CNCDA said in a statement on Wednesday. Tesla shares fell 5.2%; they have lost nearly half their value since peaking in mid-December. Investors will be closely watching Tesla's earnings release on Tuesday to see whether the company will maintain its growth forecast for the year in light of the decline in sales in key markets evidenced in the first quarter. Analysts have steadily reduced their estimates for its first-quarter results to a mean of 42 cents a share, according to data compiled by LSEG, down from 69 cents three months ago. California accounts for nearly a third of Tesla's sales in the U.S., according to Reuters calculations based on data from Cox Automotive and the CNCDA. That makes it an outsized contributor to the EV maker's success in America, as the state accounted for roughly 13% of new registrations of gasoline-powered light vehicles in 2023, according to U.S. Energy Department figures. While Tesla's Model Y SUV remained the best-selling EV in the state, its sales plummeted about 30% in the first quarter, compared with a year earlier, the CNCDA said. Tesla said earlier this month that retooling production lines for a refreshed Model Y resulted in several weeks of lost production. The CNCDA also expects total new vehicle registrations in the state to fall 2.3% in 2025 from last year due to U.S. trade policies. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Sayantani Ghosh, David Gaffen and Devika Syamnath
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Californians Reject Elon Musk As Tesla's EV Market Share Drops Below 50%
According to the California New Car Dealers Association, the state's seen some pretty impressive new electric vehicle sales growth by model lately. Non-Tesla EV sales rose an impressive 35% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the prior year. While the state's best-selling electric cars are still built by Tesla, Bloomberg reports new Tesla registrations dropped by double-digits. The pioneering formerly-California-based EV-only automaker saw its new-car registrations drop in California by 15% year-over-year. The company's share of the California market similarly fell to 43.9%, from 55.5% last year. For the first time since Tesla became a player in the EV space, it hasn't sold a majority of the electric cars in the Golden State. That doesn't bode well for Tesla, as California accounts for nearly a third of U.S. EV sales. "An aging product lineup and backlash against Elon Musk's political initiatives are likely key factors for the decline in Tesla BEV market share," the dealers' association noted in its quarterly report. If I were a betting man, I'd say many Californians would be willing to overlook the recently refreshed past-sell-by-date Model 3 and Model Y if it weren't for the company's CEO and his involvement in dismantling large portions of the U.S. government from the inside. Read more: Buy One Of These Electric Pickup Trucks Instead Of Humiliating Yourself With A Tesla Cybertruck As recently as 2022, Tesla was the monolith of EV sales in California, accounting for over 70% of the state's new electric vehicle registrations. With increased competition from more mainstream automobile manufacturers with familiar distribution channels and more consistent, less expensive parts and service, Tesla's market share has slumped worldwide. Californians have increasingly gravitated toward name brands they're already familiar with, as the GM-built Honda Prologue tops non-Tesla sales, followed closely by the anachronistically shaped Hyundai Ioniq 5. Despite the downturn in Tesla's fortunes, California managed to dramatically increase its EV and hybrid buying in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2024. Battery-electric vehicle registrations rose from 89,821 to 96,416 while hybrids shot from 56,030 to 82,833, and plug-in hybrids went from 15,682 to 17,046 units moved. All told, HEVs, PHEVs, and BEVs combined for a whopping 42.4% of the California market. Among cars with some form of electric motor propulsion, Tesla accounted for just 21.5% of new registrations in Q1 this year. If EV-hungry Californians aren't even buying these cars, who will? Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla's first-quarter registrations in California fell 15%, industry data shows
(Reuters) -Tesla's electric vehicle registrations in California dropped 15.1% during the first quarter, according to industry data, signaling growing challenges for the Elon Musk-led automaker in the crucial U.S. market. The company's quarterly sales globally fell 13% to the lowest in nearly three years, hurt by a backlash against CEO Musk, rising competition and as customers wait for a refresh of its highest-selling electric vehicle Model Y. "An aging product lineup and backlash against Musk's political initiatives are likely key factors for the decline in Tesla BEV market share," the California New Car Dealers Association said. Tesla's share of the electric vehicle market fell to 43.9% from 55.5% a year earlier, according to the industry body. Sign in to access your portfolio
