California Dreamin' ...of Electric Cars.

• Position: CHARGING STATIONS

America is getting charged up about electric cars, but some cities have embraced these quiet, eco-friendly vehicles more than others. What separates the leaders?--for starters, huge differences in tax incentives, electricity costs, and charging infrastructure.

LawnStarter compared the 200 largest U.S. cities across 11 key factors--from the number of state electric vehicle laws and incentives to average insurance premiums to the number of charging stations per capita.

Eight of the top 10 venues for EV ownership are in California: Irvine (No. 1), Riverside (No. 2), Sacramento (No. 3), Santa Rosa (No. 6), Anaheim (No. 7), Oxnard (No. 8), San Diego (No. 9), and Corona (No. 10).

Ft. Collins, Colo., ranks fourth and Salt Lake City, Utah, occupies the fifth spot.

As for highlights and lowlights:

* With a whopping 21 out of the top 25 cities, the Golden State is laps ahead of the rest of the country in the electric vehicle race. Irvine, for instance, finished on top with the highest number of electric vehicle charging stations per capita, and Sacramento is tops for having the most EV laws and incentives...