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BREAKING: California votes to APPROVE ban on the sale of new gas cars by 2035
- California Air Resources Board moved forward with a ban on the sale of new gas cars by 2035
- The policy means all new vehicles sold must be electric, but allows for 20 percent of zero-emission cars sold to be plug-in hybrids
- It requires 35 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in the state by 2026 to produce zero emissions
- Then 68 percent by 2030 and ultimately 100 percent five years after
- Automakers who fail to reach these targets are subject to civil penalties
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California has officially become the first in the world enforce a ban on the sale of new gasoline cars by 2035, following a public hearing on Thursday that ended with California Air Resources Board voting to approve the policy.
Automakers will now be required to reduce the number of gas guzzlers they sell in order to reach the first quota of the plan, which requires 35 percent of new cars, SUVs and small pickups sold in California to be zero-emission vehicles.
The quota, however, increases every two years, with 51 percent in 2028, 68 percent by 2030 and then 100 percent of all new vehicles sold should be battery-powered five years later.
Under the new law, California Air Resources Board will impose a civil penalty for cars sold in violation of the targets.
However, the ban does not stop residents from driving their current gas cars or buying and selling them used.
The California Air Resources Board voted to approve the ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035
Kathy Harris, clean vehicles advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement: ‘California is once-again leading the way by establishing commonsense standards that will transition to sales of all zero-polluting cars and light-duty trucks in the state.’
The ban is part of California’s larger plan to move completely away from fossil fuels and use 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.
When Governor Gavin Newsom first announced plans for a ban in 2020, he positioned it as a means to reduce the amount of smog-induced pollution in the air, which will improve the state’s air quality that is the worst in the US.
Gas- and diesel-powered vehicles account for nearly 36 percent of greenhouse gasses in California, making it the second most emitter in the US after Texas.
Automakers will now be required to reduce the number of gas guzzlers they sell in order to reach the first quota of the plan, which requires 35 percent of new cars, SUVs and small pickups sold in California to be zero-emission vehicles
The ban is a step in the right direction to combating emissions, but officials have some obstacles to overcome to ensure it is reasonable for Californians.
One of the hurdles is installing enough charging stations across the state and although it has the most in the country, it will need 2.1 million by 2030 to meet the demand of the new massive fleet of electric vehicles.
John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said themandate would be ‘extremely challenging’ for automakers to meet.
‘Whether or not these requirements are realistic or achievable is directly linked to external factors like inflation, charging and fuel infrastructure, supply chains, labor, critical mineral availability and pricing, and the ongoing semiconductor shortage,’ Bozzella said in a statement.
‘These are complex, intertwined and global issues.’
More than 73,000 public and shared chargers have been installed to date, with an additional 123,000 planned by 2025.
These numbers fall short of the state’s goal of 250,000 chargers by 54,000 installations.
Then there is the cost of purchasing a new electric vehicle, which is now averaging about $66,000 – a 13 percent year over year increase – compared to the $43,000 for the average gas-powered car.
According to Kelley Blue Book, the cost of EVs is ‘well above industry average and more aligned with luxury prices versus mainstream prices.’