SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tesla has surpassed Toyota to become the bestselling car maker in California.

It’s the first time the Texas-based EV maker has outsold the Japanese brand, which has long reigned supreme in the state.

Tesla sold 69,000 vehicles in the second quarter compared with 67,000 Toyotas, according to the California New Car Dealers Association.

What You Need To Know

  • Between April and June, Tesla sold more vehicles than Toyota for the first time in California

  • Tesla sold 69,000 vehicles in the second quarter; Toyota sold 67,000

  • The Tesla Model Y and Model 3 were the top two bestsellers, followed by the Toyota Camry and RAV4

  • For the first half of 2023, 21% of new vehicles sold in the state were battery electrics 

The bestselling vehicle overall was the Tesla Model Y. The Tesla Model 3 took the No. 2 spot, followed by the Toyota Camry and Toyota RAV4.

Through the first six months of 2023, Toyota was the market leader with 14.7% of all new vehicle sales in California, despite being outpaced by Tesla between April and June.

Rounding out the top five were Tesla (13.6%), Honda (9.3%), Ford (8.1%) and Chevrolet (6.9%).

California’s vehicle market differs from the rest of the country. Nationally, Ford was the top-selling brand for the first half of the year (12.2%), followed by Toyota (12%) and Chevrolet (11.1).

For the first half of 2023, the market share of new battery electric vehicle sales in California exceeded 21%.

EV newcomers Rivian and Polestar both saw 22% increases in sales. Nationally, EV sales made up 7.2% of the market, according to Cox Automotive.