8 states are planning to BAN the sale of gas-powered cars entirely – after Biden unveiled ambitious plans to phase them out by 2032

At least eight states plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars over the next decade — and others are considering joining them.

Under the Advanced Clean Cars II legislation, only zero-emission vehicles may be sold in participating states from model year 2035.

The rule, first adopted by California, means that automakers and dealers will no longer be allowed to sell new gasoline-powered cars in those states.

However, Americans will not be forced to take their gas-powered cars off the road and will still be able to purchase used and pre-owned gasoline vehicles.

These states have gone further than the latest federal legislation announced last week, in which the Biden administration issued new rules to phase out gasoline-powered cars by 2032.

The new federal legislation requires automakers to reduce tailpipe emissions from new vehicles by approximately 50 percent between model years 2026 and 2032.

To achieve this, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aims for 35 to 56 percent of vehicles to be electric by 2032, and 13 to 36 percent to be plug-in hybrids by that date.

It was initially proposed that two-thirds of all cars sold should be electric vehicles by 2030, but last week that plan was put on the brakes, giving carmakers a concession and giving them more ways to meet the demands.

According to the personal finance site MoneyCalifornia was the first state to adopt the Advanced Clean Cars II rule, which entails a complete ban on new sales of gas-powered cars by 2035.

Under California’s plans – led by Governor Gavin Newsom – 35 percent of all new car sales should be zero-emission by 2026, rising to 68 percent by 2030.

Rhode Island was the latest state to join the list of states pledging to ban the sale of gas-powered cars, joining Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington.

According to the site, the District of Columbia has also made the commitment.

Other states have passed versions of the legislation but have not yet committed to banning gas-powered cars completely by that date.

For example, Delaware and Colorado last year finalized rules requiring 82 percent of new cars to be zero-emission vehicles by 2032, but officials have not passed a ban before 2035.

New Mexico, meanwhile, announced in July that it will set annual goals for zero-emission vehicle sales and may adopt parts of the Advanced Clean Cars II legislation. But the country has not yet approved the 2035 ban.

As states come up with new plans to ban the sale of gas-powered cars at some point, the idea is to pressure automakers to accelerate their production of electric and hybrid vehicles.

Electric vehicles will make up 7.6 percent of new car sales by 2023, according to Kelley Blue Book.

While this is an increase from 3.2 percent in 2021, there is a clear difference across the country in who is switching to electric cars.

Data from earlier this year showed that Americans are buying more than ten times as many electric vehicles in some areas than in others.

The West Coast – and especially California – continued to dominate the market last year, according to figures from market research firm S&P Global Mobility.

But in other places, including the so-called ‘Motor City’ Detroit – the car capital of the country – hardly any residents buy electric cars.

However, some major automakers are ramping up production of electric cars. General Motors, for example, expects to complete a full transition to electric vehicle sales by 2035.

In San Jose, nearly 40 percent of new car registrations last year were electric – the most of any major metropolitan area. In Detroit, however, only 3 percent of registrations were for electric vehicles.

But hybrid cars are selling at dealerships three times faster than electric cars, separate data shows.

And the latest federal rules unveiled last week by the Biden administration have given hybrid cars a bigger role in reducing tailpipe emissions.

According to research site Edmunds, hybrid vehicles are now also being sold twice as fast as gasoline cars.

A traditional hybrid vehicle has a gas combustion engine and an electric motor – a battery – that both work together to drive the car.

Last month, hybrids typically flew off dealer lots within 25 days, Edmunds found, while electric vehicles took an average of 72 days. Gas-powered cars are typically sold after 52 days.

Hybrid vehicles overtook all-electric cars and gasoline cars to lead this year in the closely watched Consumer Reports rankings of top cars.