California Will Ban Gas-Powered Car Sales In 2035, Other States May Follow

As The Hill reported late last month, the California Air Resources Board has voted to ban the sale of gas-powered cars starting in 2035 and gradually increase the proportion of electric or non-emitting cars required to be sold in the state. Specifically, the regulation requires 35 percent of new cars sold in the state to be zero-emissions by 2026. That number will increase to 68 percent in 2030 and to 100 percent by 2035.

Electric vehicles currently comprise about 15 percent of the state’s annual sales.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said, “California now has a groundbreaking, world-leading plan to achieve 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035. It’s ambitious, it’s innovative, it’s the action we must take if we’re serious about leaving this planet better off for future generations.”

The Air Resources Board found that battery-electric vehicles are likely to be about the same cost-wise compared to gas-powered vehicles by 2030. The board estimates consumers will save $7,900 in maintenance and operational costs over the first 10 years of electric vehicle ownership.

Analysts, meanwhile, believe California’s decision could spur other states to act. Indeed, officials from New York, Oregon, Washington, and Rhode Island already have publicly pledged to adopt a rule similar to California’s.