Purchases of electric vehicles (EVs) aren’t anywhere close to the majority of U.S. car sales. But with multiple states phasing out sales of gas-powered cars in the future, the EV market share is certainly gaining.

According to Clean Technica, EV sales are now about 6 percent of overall car sales in the United States, which is up from 2.2 percent in the fall of 2020. That number was 5.1 percent in the second quarter, 4.7 percent in the first, 4.1 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, and 3.7 percent in the third.

According to the report, the total number of EV sales in the third quarter reached about 200,000, with around 131,000 of those coming from Tesla.

Of the individual car models, the Tesla Model Y was the top model, with 57,000 sales, followed by Tesla’s Model 3, with about 53,000. The Chevy Bolt EV was the top non-Tesla model, with 14,709, followed by the Tesla Model X, with 11,500. They were followed by the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Tesla Model S, the Volkswagen ID.4, the Rivian R1T, and the Ford F-150 Lightning, all of which moved more than 5,000 units in the quarter.

“Fully electric vehicles have grown and grown in recent years,” the report said. "More and more models hit the market each month, and some of them are selling in decent volumes. Meanwhile, Tesla’s strong growth continues and one wonders how high Tesla can go. It’s on the verge of being one of the 10 top selling auto brands in the United States, an achievement that is likely to be reached in the 4th quarter of 2022,” Clean Technica wrote.

In terms of year-to-date numbers, Tesla has the top three spots, with the Model Y, Model 3, and Model X all moving more units than the fourth-place finisher, the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The Tesla Model S was fifth, followed by the Chevy Bolt. The story, though, is that most major car manufacturers are jumping into the EV arena.

In August, California formalized a rule that will require the state to fully transition to zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

“Once again California is leading the nation and the world with a regulation that sets ambitious but achievable targets for ZEV sales. Rapidly accelerating the number of ZEVs on our roads and highways will deliver substantial emission and pollution reductions to all Californians, especially for those who live near roadways and suffer from persistent air pollution,” California Air Resources Board Chair Liane Randolph said in the state’s announcement.

“The regulation includes ground-breaking strategies to bring ZEVs to more communities and is supported by the Governor’s ZEV budget which provides incentives to make ZEVs available to the widest number of economic groups in California, including low- and moderate-income consumers.”

Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.

Image: Reuters.