California Set for Thursday Vote to Ban All Sales of New Gasoline Cars By 2035

Regulators at the California Air Resources Board are set to vote Thursday on a groundbreaking new rule for emmissions and vehicle sales in the state.

The Advanced Clean Cars II proposal from the ARB, which was first presented this spring, would require “all new passenger cars, trucks and SUVs sold in California” to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

It’s in keeping with a 2020 executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said in September of that year that California would phase out gasoline cars and “eliminate harmful emissions from the transportation sector” in the next 15 years.

The proposed Advanced Clean Cars II plan would create yearly quotas for zero-emission vehicle sales, and would increase the percentage of new car sales that must be zero emissions each year starting in 2026, until 100% of new vehicles sold are zero emission or plug-in hybrid electric in 2035.

California already “enjoys the largest zero-emission vehicle market in the nation with more than 16% of new vehicles sold being zero-emissions or plug-in hybrids,” according to the proposal.

Still, the ARB says transportation is the source of most of California’s carbon dioxide emissions, and carbon dioxide is one of seven greenhouse gases that the ARB is responsible for monitoring and regulating to help mitigate climate change.

The Advanced Clean Cars II proposal would also tighten standards on emissions from gasoline cars and passenger trucks, and add regulations to warranties and serviceability on electric vehicles to ensure drivers who make the switch to electric cars are getting their money’s worth.