Tesla’s second most popular offering, Model 3, ultimately beat California’s former best-selling car Toyota Camry in 2022, as per California New Car Dealers Association’s (CNCDA) Q4 2022 auto outlook.
Since then, the Tesla Model 3 has been jokingly referred to as the “California Camry” in the Golden State.
Tesla threatens Toyota’s position
As mentioned, Tesla Model 3 dominated California’s passenger car market with 78,934 registrations, with a 15% market share. It overthrew the current California King Toyota with only 55,967 registrations for its best-selling model Camry, accounting for 10.2% of the passenger car market. Meanwhile, the Toyota Corolla landed the third spot with 39,865 new registrations.
| Model | New registrations |
| Tesla Model 3 | 78,934 |
| Toyota Camry | 55,967 |
| Toyota Corolla | 39,865 |
Remarkably, Tesla is in a very progressive momentum in California. The American EV giant managed to push the Tesla Model Y to rank first in California’s top light truck category in 2022, based on the new car registration data provided by the CNCDA.
Tesla recorded 87,257 registrations for the Model Y, accounting for 7.6% of the market. It was followed by Toyota’s RAV4, with only 59,794 unit registrations in 2022.
| Model | New registrations |
| Tesla Model Y | 87,257 |
| Toyota’s RAV4 | 59,794 |
| Ford F-Series | 40,232 |
Meanwhile, Toyota Tacoma dominated the compact/mid-size pickup truck market with a 46.2% market share.
Brand market share
However, Toyota is still ahead of Tesla in terms of market share. In 2022, Toyota accounted for 17.3% of the Golden State’s overall auto market. It is followed by Tesla, with an 11.2% market share. The top five are completed by Ford (8.4), Honda (7.9%), and Chevrolet (6.8).
Nonetheless, it must be observed that Toyota’s sales trend is declining. Meanwhile, Tesla continues to increase its market share to 54% from 2021 to 2022. As the previous report claimed, Toyota’s market share and its premium brand Lexus dropped 14% in 2022 from a year ago.
“Tesla buyers today are historically Honda and Toyota buyers of the past. They’re switching over to Model 3s and Model Ys.”
EVAdoption CEO Loren McDonald
Tesla’s advancement in California is not surprising, given its significant price cuts, federal tax credits eligibility, and cutting-edge EV portfolio. It would be exciting to see Tesla overthrow its Japanese rival in the coming years.
“With ZEV product announcements every day, we’re seeing the latest and greatest in technology and innovation in new car makes and models by the major automakers. As dealers, we are eagerly waiting to receive these cars and get them into the hands of our longstanding customers. California drivers want these cars now.”
CNCDA Chairman Tony Toohey
