Suggested Citation:
Tal, Gil, Sina Nordhoff, Scott Hardman, Theodora Konstantinou, Juan Carlos Garcia Sanchez, Dahlia Garas, Matthew Favetti (2026)

State of Zero-Emission Vehicle Secondary Market andAccessibility Impacts in California’s UnderservedCommunities

. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Research Report UCD-ITS-RP-25-117

Abstract:

This study examines the used plug-in electric vehicle market in California through an integrated analysis of Department of Motor Vehicles household registrations from 2023, S&P Global interstate transfer data from 2016 to 2023, and a statewide survey of vehicle owners with approximately 3,396 respondents. This includes understanding socio-economic, demographic, geographic, and behavior of not only buyers of used ZEVs but also buyers of new and used internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The analysis provides empirical evidence on consumer behavior, market dynamics, and barriers to adoption that can inform policy decisions aimed at expanding plug in electric vehicle access across California’s population.