ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLE ADOPTION GROWS 24% IN ONE YEAR
Tracking vehicle registrations can help a community understand its growing or declining reliance on cars, especially when viewed in relation to trends in public transit (see Transit indictor). Tracking the growth in alternative fuel cars helps illustrate the region’s contribution to statewide goals for reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and reveals infrastructure that may be needed to support the growth of alternative fuel cars, such as electric vehicle charging stations or hydrogen fuel stations. This indicator measures car, truck, and motorcycle registrations for vehicles powered by any type of fuel, as well as registrations for hybrid, electric, and hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles.
TREND
Over 50,000 new cars, trucks and motorcycles were added to San Bernardino County’s vehicle registration rolls between 2020 and 2021. This one-year change reflects a growth rate of 3%, which outpaces the statewide growth rate of 1%.
AFTER FLATTENING IN 2020, VEHICLE REGISTRATION RESUMES GROWTH IN 2021
Vehicle Registrations in San Bernardino County, 2007-2021
The rapid adoption of alternative fuel vehicles continued in 2022, with San Bernardino County residents adding nearly 16,000 electric, hybrid, or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in a single year. This represents a one-year growth rate of 24%, with the adoption of electric vehicles leading the way, posting a one-year growth of 58%. These three vehicle types (electric, hybrid, or hydrogen fuel cell) made up 3% of the total fleet of San Bernardino County autos, trucks, and motorcycles in 2022, up from 1% in 2016.
STEADY GROWTH IN ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLE ADOPTION
Alternative Fuel Vehicles by Type in San Bernardino County, 2016-2022
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Definitions
Hybrid: Hybrid vehicles has both an electric motor and internal combustion engine, and therefore uses battery-powered electricity and gasoline or diesel in tandem for power. Unlike conventional hybrids, in a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle the batteries can be charged by plugging into an outlet.
Electric: These vehicles run exclusively on electricity via on-board batteries that are charged by plugging into an outlet or charging station. They have no gasoline engine, longer electric driving ranges compared to plug-in hybrids, and do not produce tailpipe emissions (though there are emissions associated with charging these vehicles).
Fuel Cell: A fuel cell vehicle uses an electric-only motor like a battery electric vehicle, but stores energy differently. Instead of recharging a battery, fuel cell electric vehicles store hydrogen gas in a tank. The fuel cell combines hydrogen with oxygen from the air to produce electricity. The electricity from the fuel cell then powers an electric motor, which powers the vehicle. The only byproduct of fuel cell electric vehicles is water.