Earlier this month, we asked you, our Essential California readers, to tell us whether you’ve joined the growing number of EV drivers in California. A little more than 30 people responded, mostly in the affirmative. |
That’s no surprise, as zero-emission vehicles now make up roughly 1 in 12 cars and pickups on California roads, and nearly 1 in 6 new cars sold in the state are fully electric. |
New incentives — including $3,500 off new EVs and $1,750 off used ones — certainly help motivate Californians to go electric. And unlike the federal tax credits that expired in September, these incentives offer an instant discount and don’t require buyers to apply for credit later. |
While the pros to EV adoption are plentiful, there are cons that explain why some Californians haven’t traded in their gas vehicle for an EV. |
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation cutting red tape for charging projects. But there is still a significant gap in EV charging access. |
People in L.A.’s lower-income communities have a harder time accessing EV chargers, according to a 2025 UCLA study. “EV chargers aren’t just missing in disadvantaged communities — they’re also more likely to be broken. That’s a double barrier for people who can’t charge at home,” said Dr. Yifang Zhu, one of the study’s researchers. |
Then there are issues such as maintenance and the number, or lack, of mechanics who are equipped to work on EV vehicles. |
“I live near Palm Springs and I had purchased a hybrid which needed some work. Turns out there are not enough mechanics in my area who know how to work on hybrid vehicles. Even most of the dealers out here have only one mechanic who works on hybrids. I gave up my quest and settled for a regular gas-powered vehicle,” reader Kerri W. wrote. |
Most readers had favorable things to say about joining the EV revolution in California, but a few readers told us why they were holding onto their gas vehicles. |
Here are some of their responses. |
“I had a BMW i3, it was mostly EV with a 2 gallon gas tank for emergencies. I loved it! Or at least I did love it, until rolling black outs and significant power outages came with regularity. |
“The ease of plugging in my car at night to charge did not outweigh the fear and insecurity I felt when the power was out indefinitely. I couldn’t even get in my car to drive and feel the AC during a power outage on my street. One episode lasted over 24 hours in the summer! |
“And let’s be honest, electricity is expensive! I’m in an apartment and just last month had a $750 power bill. No, I don’t run a data center, but I work from home and must use AC. Sadly, my landlord will not upgrade the single pane windows for better insulation. |
“I’m a one car family of one and unless either of those stats change, I will not own an EV again. It’s not safe and way too costly for this woman.” – Krista P. |
“My EV is the most satisfying physical object I’ve ever purchased — and I own the cheapest one in America, the Chevy Bolt EV. I love the quiet when I drive, quick acceleration, simplicity of maintenance and knowing that I’m spending less cash and burning less carbon on every trip. The rare moments when public charging can be a stressor are more than made up for by the joy of laughing my way past the gas station every week.” – Michael B. |
“I’m 28 years old, from Los Angeles, and have only ever driven an electric car. In high school, I drove an adorably small electric Smart Car. After college, I traded up size wise (marginally) to a Fiat 500e. And now as a ‘grown up,’ I drive a Subaru Solterra. I couldn’t imagine switching to a gas car — especially knowing that I’d have to give up that extremely quick acceleration that make EVs so fun to drive.” – Carrington W. |
“With gasoline nearing $6 a gallon, EVs make even more sense. After keeping two gas vehicles for more than six decades, I’m now in the market for a late-model EV with comprehensive safety features. As an older driver, I want the latest protections and don’t drive as far as I used to. We’ll keep one gas car and use the EV for everyday tasks.” – Darrel W. |
“We’ve looked at EVs and hybrids for a number of years, but haven’t jumped into the waters. We make 1-3 trips per year by car totaling up to 2,000 miles each into areas where services are sparse. The range of EVs haven’t reached the point where we are comfortable with the risk and the hybrids we’re interested in have trade-offs we’re not ready to accept.” – Stuart G.S. |
“We switched to an EV a year ago and love it. We never go to the gas station and with rooftop solar and batteries, our PG&E bill dropped to zero. – Harvey P. |
Top stories |
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Left, Mayor Karen Bass at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles; right, councilmember Nithya Raman in Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Times) |
The race for L.A. mayor |
- Ahead of November’s mayoral election, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and her challenger, City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, talked to The Times about why they were running.
- Bass talked about her response to the Palisades fire, police staffing, her management style at City Hall and her biggest mistake as mayor.
- Raman addressed homelessness, how her stance on the LAPD has changed over time and her biggest mistake on the council.
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California’s home insurance crisis in high- and low-risk fire areas |
- California’s home insurance crisis is spilling from high-fire zones into new Inland Empire suburbs, where even low-risk buyers struggle to secure full coverage on newly built, “affordable” houses.
- Faced with big-name carriers retreating, families are forced into California’s insurer of last resort — the FAIR Plan — which has exploded into a $788-billion risk pool covering 696,000 properties, far beyond its 1960s mission to stabilize redlined neighborhoods after the 1965 Watts riots.
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California’s election war with Trump rages on |
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More news |
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Commentary and opinion |
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Editor’s pick |
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Angels public address announcer Michael Araujo grew up watching the team and takes pride in being the voice of Angel Stadium. |
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More picks |
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Keep up with California |
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Things to do |
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Huguette Caland, Untitled, 1968 (Steve Kim / Huguette Caland Estate) |
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Today’s recipe |
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(Cody Reiss / Los Angeles Times) |
Most of the time, cooking editor Cody Reiss likes his figs raw. But when he can’t get perfectly ripe figs, sometimes he likes to roast them the way he learned at Chez Panisse. They’d cook them in the big, wood-fired pizza oven, use the remaining liquid as a base for a vinaigrette and serve the figs leaning up against a whole grilled quail. He has adapted that recipe to be made under a broiler and — since it’s so hot out these days — used the roasting juices to make a sweet, summery sauce that’s drizzled over each layer of a cartoonishly large roasted fig sundae. |
Question for you |
Where’s your favorite place to see fall colors in California? Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. |
David P. says, “My favorite place to see fall colors is in Marin County, which contains a dazzling array of native and imported trees!” |
Photo of the day |
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Jim Crouch stands before mature Engelmann oak trees in the Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve in eastern San Diego County. As California is losing its oaks, Crouch is planting 10,000, including in tree-scarce Altadena. (Sandy Huffaker / For The Times) |
Games |
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Here’s today’s mini crossword, plus our other free, daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games. |
Have a great day, from the Essential California team |
Jack Dolan, investigative reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters |
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com. |
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