Topline
The California Air Resources Board on Thursday approved a much-anticipated measure that would ban sales of new pure-play vehicles in the most populous state in the U.S. by 2035. Gasoline cars, which mark what is widely considered to be the strictest regulations ever imposed on gasoline vehicles as part of a national shift to electric vehicles.
June 30, 2006, traffic leaving San Francisco . (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)
Key Facts
ban will apply to most new cars, including sedans, SUVs and light trucks, but will not affect any used car sales.
The order requires that at least 35% of new vehicles sold in the state be “zero emissions” by 2026 – This threshold is gradually increased by 6-8% each year until it reaches 100% in 2035.
The regulatory panel unanimously approved the measure as a historic step in the fight against climate change .
Plug-in gas/electric hybrids with a battery range of at least 50 miles will still be 20% of sales are allowed, while fully electric or hydrogen vehicles must account for the remainder.
Precautions
A dozen states The New York Times . New York, Pennsylvania and Washington are among the states that frequently adopt California regulations.
Main background
Less than 1% of cars on U.S. roads today are electric, according to Reuters, but sales over the past decade have Significant growth and is expected to soar in the coming years. Major automakers are investing billions of dollars in electric vehicle production, and GM has also set a goal of shifting its production to electric-only vehicles by 2035. Getting America’s infrastructure ready for an industry-wide shift to electric vehicles has been a key component of the spending bill that President Joe Biden signed into law over the past year. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill enacted last year authorized $7.5 billion to build a nationwide network of electric vehicle chargers, and the most recent Inflation Reduction Act includes expanding tax credits for electric vehicle purchases.
Further reading
California expected to ban new gasoline-only vehicle sales by 2035 (Forbes)
Everything in the $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill: New Roads, Electric School Buses, and More (Forbes)
Inflation Reduction Bill Passed: Senate Approves $430 Billion Climate and Healthcare Act (Forbes)
