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Articles by Erica Lee

Erica is a data reporter at CalMatters. She is a recent graduate of Northeastern University, where she majored in journalism and information science. Erica previously interned at the San Francisco Chronicle, CNBC, and Boston.com.

Featured Article

Atherton, one of the nation's richest communities, has California's highest concentration of electric cars.

This story was originally published by CalMatters and is republished with permission.

In Atherton, one of the nation’s richest towns, giant oaks and well-manicured hedges surround gated mansions owned by some of Silicon Valley’s most prominent billionaires, basketball stars, tech executives, and venture capitalists. 

Each set on an acre of land, six-bedroom estates, brick-paved pathways, neoclassical statues, and cascading fountains are on full display. But increasingly, another status symbol has been parked in these driveways: a shiny electric car — sometimes two.

This tiny San Mateo County community — with an average home value of almost $7.5 million and average household income exceeding half a million dollars — has California’s highest percentage of electric cars, according to a CalMatters analysis of data from the Energy Commission. About one out of every seven, or 14 percent, of Atherton’s 6,261 cars are electric. 

CalMatters’ statewide analysis ... Read more