It’s been a couple of years since California introduced the idea of banning gas car sales, and the state has now officially set plans for phasing out the fossil fuel-burning vehicles.
California voted to approve a ban on new gas car sales by 2035 on Thursday and is one of the first government entities to do so worldwide, as reported by CNN.
In an interview with CNN, California Air Resources Board (CARB) member Daniel Sperling said, “This is monumental.” Sperling continues, “This is the most important thing that CARB has done in the last 30 years. It’s important not just for California, but it’s important for the country and the world.”
New York to Ban New Gas Car Sales in 2035, Joining California https://t.co/sxbzArW4fE
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) September 9, 2021
The new rules also set phase-out regulations to keep the state on track.
By 2026, 35 percent of new cars, SUVs and small pickups in California must be zero-emission. This would increase yearly, eventually climbing to 51 percent of all new car sales needing to be gas in 2028. In 2030, 68 percent of the vehicles sold will be zero-emission, and finally, the state would reach 100 percent of new cars sold by 2035.
Additionally, 20 percent of these vehicles are allowed to be plug-in hybrids, and the rules don’t affect used vehicles at all.
15 other states are planning to follow suit, including Colorado, Minnesota, New York and Washington.
The plan to ban new gas car sales by 2035 should be a positive sign for dedicated electric automakers such as Tesla. Traditional automakers will need to ramp up their plans to go fully-electric or hybrid by 2035.