More than a dozen Democratic-led states could follow California with stringent new rules phasing out the sale of gasoline-powered cars. But challenges remain.
California regulators’ landmark move to phase out the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035 is expected to ripple beyond its borders, with a third of states poised to adopt similar requirements.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted Thursday to adopt the sweeping plan to shift the fuel source for the nation’s largest auto market. A carveout in the federal Clean Air Act has allowed California to enact increasingly aggressive measures to slash carbon emissions from transportation, which other states have the option of adopting. More than a dozen mostly Democratic-led states have already signaled they’ll follow California’s lead.
These states and others have also launched their own plans to put more electric vehicles on the road. California’s new phased-in requirements set a 2035 target for all new cars and light trucks sold in the state to not emit carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions.
The Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to approve California’s new mandates, giving other states tools to move more aggressively to take gasoline-powered vehicles off the road.
