Bay Area's electric car sales have nearly doubled thanks to Tesla Model 3

Electric vehicle sales have nearly doubled in the Bay Area. The San Francisco Chronicle reports, "Partly because of the arrival of the Model 3, electric car sales locally have surged. In 2018, electric cars accounted for 13% of new passenger vehicle registrations in the Bay Area, up from 7% in 2017."

Above: Tesla's Model 3 crosses the Golden Gate Bridge (Flickr: Thomas Hawk)

The non-profit group, International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), provided the figures which also include plug-in hybrids. Of special note — Tesla's Model 3 accounted for 39% of the Bay Area's new electric vehicles last year. The Bay Area, in this instance, is defined as Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo and San Francisco counties.

And it's not just electric cars, the number of EV charging stations has also risen rapidly. According to the ICCT, "In the San Francisco metro area, the number of public charging outlets rose to more than 2,700 by the end of 2018 — up 39% from a year earlier." In addition, "The number of workplace [charging] outlets in the region rose more than 50% over that time frame."

Above: A look at the electric car sales boom, along with some of its owners, in the Bay Area (Source: KPIX CBS SF Bay Area)

However, Tesla owners have the added perk of the company's proprietary Supercharger network as well. Mitchell Barnow, a San Franciscan who bought a Model 3 last year, recently drove to Yosemite and enjoyed the convenience of Tesla's Supercharger station in Groveland. He says, "You stop, have lunch, and it’s no big deal."

Barnow also appreciates carpool-lane access available to clean-car drivers in California. He says that using the "carpool lane to get on the Bay Bridge is nice.” It's reported that, "At last count — in 2016 — about 8% of carpool lane occupants on Bay Area highways were low-emissions vehicles, according to a Metropolitan Transportation Commission study."

Above: Tesla's Model 3 continue to gain popularity in the greater San Francisco area (Flickr: Thomas Hawk)

Another electric vehicle owner, Ross Marbella admits, "It’s getting better and better to own one of these vehicles." After three years of waiting, he was elated to (finally) swap out his 2005 Honda Accord for a new Tesla Model 3.

Even the Bay Area's local politicos are going all-electric. Representing San Francisco, Phil Ting serves in the California State Assembly and backs a bill to ban gas cars by 2040. He drives a Chevy Bolt and says, "[it] feels like a 21st century car." And he's delighted to see EVs gaining traction locally. "There’s like a Tesla on every single block," Ting tells the San Francisco Chronicle.

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Source: San Francisco Chronicle; KPIX CBS SF Bay Area