By 2026, 35 per cent of new cars in California must be zero-emission vehicles, and the quota will rise to 68 per cent by 2030, and 100 per cent in 2035…reports Asian Lite News
California regulators have voted to approve a first-of-its-kind rule that would ban the sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035.
California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed the 2035 ban two years ago with an executive order that directed California Air Resources Board (CARB) and others to determine how to implement the plan, Xinhua news agency reported.
The new rule requires automakers to hit milestones along the way. By 2026, 35 per cent of new cars in California must be zero-emission vehicles, and the quota will rise to 68 per cent by 2030, and 100 per cent in 2035.
The rules would not impact used vehicles, allowing them to stay on the roads. The rules will not be immediate, and will go into effect in 2026, said CARB member Daniel Sperling.
“The climate crisis is solvable if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to stem the tide of carbon pollution,” Newsom said on Wednesday.
Multiple states are expected to follow suit. Already, 15 states including Colorado and Minnesota, as well as states on the Northeast and West Coast, followed California’s previous zero-emission vehicle regulations, said a report of CNN.
“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,” CNBC quoted Kathy Harris, clean vehicles advocate at the Natural Resources Defence Council, as saying.
The Trump administration in 2019 revoked California’s authority to regulate its own air quality, but the Biden administration restored that authority earlier this year, the CNBC reported.
State officials said the rule is critical to meeting the state’s goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2045, adding that resulting emissions declines would lead to fewer cardiopulmonary deaths and improved health for those suffering from asthma and other illnesses, it was reported.