Those who thought California's love affair with cars wouldn't extend to electric vehicles thought wrong. Now the state leads the nation in EV ownership, both in sheer numbers and number per capita by an ever-widening margin. With a mandate to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035 here, one question remains: Is there an infrastructure in place to charge up these power suckers? The answer: It's a work in progress, according to both state agencies and actual drivers.
One thing is for certain, however, for California's EV converts — the trend is now the norm, and it's not going away. On an early November morning, Daeho Hwang sat patiently in the cockpit of his new Lucid Air. The super sleek luxury sedan looks like a bullet even when it's not moving.
Appointed with leather seats, wood on the center console and dash and screens that seem to blend seamlessly, this car — one the manufacturer says takes only 12 minutes to charge up 200 miles and goes 0 to 60 in 1.89 seconds — is among the most enviable of rides on Interstate 5. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A Lucid Air charges up in Kettleman City, Calif.
, on Nov. 8, 2024. Andrew Pridgen/SFGATE Hwang, traveling to Los Angeles from his home in San Francisco on the front end of a three-day weekend, was busy checking his phone behind the Chalio's, a road stop in Kettleman City known for its 24-hour service of Mexican cuisine and hearty portions.
A bank of non-Tesla EV chargers in Kettleman City, Calif., o.