California is expected to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035 following a vote on the measure this week.
Per CNN, the California Air Resources Board is set to vote on the plan on Thursday, and board member Daniel Sperling said he’s “99.9 percent” confident it’ll pass. The rule will mean that 100 percent of all new cars sold in the state by 2035 must be zero-emission vehicles. The move will be one of the first bans of new gasoline cars worldwide, and could have big implications for the rest of the United States’ car market.
"This is huge," electric vehicles expert Margo Oge told the New York Times. "California will now be the only government in the world that mandates zero-emission vehicles. It is unique.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order in 2020 mandating all new cars and passenger trucks be zero-emission vehicles.
“The climate crisis is solvable if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to stem the tide of carbon pollution,” said Newsom in a statement. The California Air Resources Board is currently targeting 35 percent of new cars in 2026 to be zero-emission, 51 percent by 2028, and 68 percent by 2030. Used vehicles will not be impacted by the ban.
"The car companies see what's happening in China, in Europe," Sperling added, noting there was "surprisingly little debate" on the topic and minimal push back from car manufacturers. "Many of them have already made announcements about how they're converting totally to electric vehicles."
