Report: California leads in EVs, but renters face charging challenges

California leads the country in electric vehicles, with nearly 30% of all EVs in the United States — roughly 502 registered EVs per 10,000 residents — according to a new StorageCafe report.

With gas prices seemingly setting new records daily, there is a renewed focus on electric vehicles. California has over 62,000 public charging stations, by far the largest network of any state. The state has spent decades building the most comprehensive zero-emission vehicle policy framework in the nation, layering mandates, incentives and emissions standards into a system that other states have often followed rather than invented, the report states.

But for the millions of Californians who rent, going electric still means figuring out charging on their own.

"California has built one of the most advanced EV ecosystems in the world, but ownership and access aren't the same thing," said Victor Maghear, senior research analyst at StorageCafe. "Renters are among the most cost-sensitive drivers in the state, and they stand to gain the most from lower running costs. Until the charging infrastructure catches up with where people actually live, the EV transition will keep moving faster than the housing stock that supports it."

A new StorageCafe analysis ranked California first in the nation for EV ownership in 2026, after examining all 50 states and D.C. across adoption rates, charging infrastructure, affordability, policy strength and renter access to charging. 

A few of the California highlights:

• California holds 29.3% of all EVs in the U.S., with roughly 502 registered EVs per 10,000 residents
• More than 62,000 public charging stations serve the state, with charging access reaching every county
• A full EV charge costs 51% less than a comparable tank of gas
• Nearly 12% of multifamily units offer EV charging, one of the highest shares in the nation. That still leaves roughly nine in 10 rental units without access at home, putting growing pressure on public charging networks and property owners alike.

The analysis also points to an emerging split-fleet trend: some EV owners in high-adoption states like California are holding onto gas-powered vehicles as range-anxiety backups, with the second car driving new demand for vehicle storage in urban and suburban markets.

The full report is available here: https://www.storagecafe.com/blog/states-leading-ev-adoption-2026/.