Electric cars now 5 percent of California new-car sales

The smog in California has improved, but won't disappear until most cars are electric

California continues to lead the country in adoption rates for cars that plug in, both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models.

The state offers numerous local and statewide incentives, and many utility companies reward customers for choosing an electric car over a fossil-fuel powered vehicle.

Combined, it's made for a very electric-car friendly environment, and sales results have reflected that since the first modern electric cars were delivered there in December 2010.

According to the latest report released by non-profit organization Next 10, 5 percent of new-car sales in the state are now electric vehicles.

That figure reflects new cars sold during the first quarter of 2017, and it represents a significant jump since the first report was released nearly a decade ago.

There are some other significant figures included in the report as well.

In 2016, nearly half of all zero-emission vehicles sold in the U.S. were registered in California, and zero-emission vehicle registrations rose 45.5 percent from 2014 to 2015 alone.

The milestone sales figure comes at a time when California continues to battle high emissions in the state.

The transportation sector is responsible for 38.5 percent of all emissions in California.