About 40% of U.S. battery-electric vehicles now travel on California roads, and the state's EV charging network has reached 20,000 chargers, according to a report from the Electric Vehicle Charging Association (EVCA).

In "The State of the Charge," the newly-formed association lays out a case that EVs and EV charging represents a significant economic opportunity for the state.

There are now more than 9,000 public and workplace charging outlets in California, and about 11,000 more in residences. The number of public or workplace charging outlets in California has grown by 652% since 2011, according to the report.

With 150,000 electric vehicles on its highways, California has 40% of the EV market. The industry is expected to generate roughly $4.5 billion in sales and services by 2023. Gov. Jerry Brown has called for 1 million zero-emission vehicles in California by 2020 and recently signed into law SB 350 to expand EV charging.

"California leads the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, technology, and services," said Colleen Quinn, vice president of government relations and public policy for ChargePoint, North America's largest EV charging network. "The continued growth and diversity of this industry is critical to meeting California's ambitious clean air and climate protection goals, and the EV industry supports more than 2,000 California jobs."

The association is a not-for-profit trade association created to bolster clean transportation by advancing continued innovation in the EV charging industry. Their efforts will focus on creating an environment that maintains the highest levels of innovation and creates maximum value for EV drivers, according to the association.

Click here to view the report.