Mobility: Zero-Emission Vehicles

How to use this interactive graph:

Hover over the graph to reveal more details. If you’re on a mobile device, hold your finger on the graph.
Right click or press on the graph and select “Show as a table” to see a table with all the data.
Use the arrows in the bottom bar of the graph to see more graphs.
Press the icon in the bottom bar of the graph that looks like an arrow coming out of a box to share the graph on social media or copy its URL.
Press the icon in the bottom bar that looks like a double-pointed arrow to view the graph full-screen.

Why is this a Climate Smart indicator?

Transportation generates over half of city-wide greenhouse gas emissions, according to the 2024 communitywide inventory. Increasing the share of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) is critical to reducing these emissions.
This is why one of the four key strategies in the 2025 Climate Smart Plan Update is to transition our cars to ZEVs.
The Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, finalized by the California Air Resources Board in November 2022, require all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the state to be either zero-emission (battery electric or fuel-cell electric, per definition under the regulation) or qualifying plug-in hybrids by 2035.
Additionally, transitioning from gas powered vehicles to ZEVs would help improve air quality and reduce stormwater pollution.

What is the City doing to make progress on this indicator?

Completed

Green Fleet Policy (2007) and Vehicle Replacement Policy (2021) for City vehicles
Reach code EV charging infrastructure requirements, including an update requiring EV ready charging infrastructure for 100% of residential parking spaces in new multifamily development (adopted 2019, updated 2024)
Electric Mobility Roadmap (accepted January 2020)

Drive Electric EV discount program (2020)
Drive Forward program offering financial counseling and EV education (2020)
Dealer education program (2020)
Emerging Mobility Action Plan (adopted April 2022)

Move San José, a citywide Access and Mobility Plan that includes strategies to make it easier for people to use and purchase electric vehicles and for the city to meet air quality goals (adopted August 2022)
Transportation Electrification (TE) Needs Assessment to promote TE within the community and support the development of future San José Clean Energy (SJCE) programs (2025)
Fleet Electrification Master Plan for City vehicles (2025)

In Progress / Ongoing

SJCE EV Instant Rebates program which provides financial incentives as a discount when income eligible SJCE customers purchase or lease a new or used EV from participating car dealerships
SJCE Multifamily EV Charger Assistance Program which provides incentives to multifamily property owners and managers for installing EV chargers at their property
Online EV resources provided by SJCE, including a set of Electric Vehicle webpages with information on electric vehicles, charging, EV rates, and rebates
EV education events that include ride and drives, workshops, and free, trilingual one-on-one assistance
SJCE’s Go Electric Advisor service which provides support to customers looking to transition to an electric vehicle, navigate the purchase process, find rebates and incentives, and provide technical assistance for installing EV charging at home
EV charger installations through the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP; partnership between San José Clean Energy and California Energy Commission)
- 267 Level 2 and 82 direct current fast EV chargers were installed through the program
- All projects to be installed bymid-2026

A telematics-based charging program for SJCE EV customers
Climate Smart Challenge and GoGreen Teams programs for San José residents, which encourage switching to electric vehicles

Planned

About the data

Sources & Methods

California Energy Commission Light-Duty Zero Emissions Vehicle dashboard. Data are presented for vehicles registered in ZIP codes that lie entirely within San José’s city boundary and are categorized as battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Each year’s dataset includes all vehicles that were registered as of December 31st of that year.

To calculate the percentage of passenger vehicles that are zero emissions for a given year, the number of light-duty BEV that are registered in San José is divided by the total number of light-duty vehicles registered in San José.

Limitations

Due to the complex nature of San José’s incorporated boundary and overlapping ZIP codes with other cities, it is not possible to exactly count vehicles in the City of San José using ZIP code data.

Last updated

May 2026