California plan aims to triple electric car sales by 2026

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SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — California wants electric vehicle sales to triple over the next four years to 35% of all new car purchases; This is an aggressive target set as part of the goal of phasing out gas-powered cars.

The proposal, released Tuesday by the California Air Resources Board, puts the state on a roadmap to reach the Democratic Government of State. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious goal of phasing out sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035. the plan must receive approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Emissions from gas-powered passenger vehicles account for about a quarter of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions—more than any other source, according to the state weather board. California has set some of the country’s most aggressive climate policies and has become the first state in the country to set a target for a transition to zero-emission vehicles.

About 11% of all new passenger car sales nationally occur in California, giving the state a significant impact on the auto market. Californians will still be allowed to drive gasoline-powered cars and sell used cars.

Rules require that 35% of new car sales for the 2026 model year are zero-emission vehicles, including battery- or hydrogen-powered or electric hybrids. According to the Air board, this is a sharp increase from 2021, when about 12% of all cars sold in the state were zero emissions.

This requirement will increase 100% of all new sales by 2035. New gas-powered cars will not be completely banned; Up to 20% of sales by 2035 could be plug-in hybrid vehicles powered by a combination of battery and gas power, but regulations increase how far such cars must be able to travel on battery power alone.

Leading automakers, including Ford and Toyota, deferred to an industry group, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, for a clarification on the proposal. The group says the industry is “depending on electrification and a net-zero transportation future,” but has raised questions about the drastic increase in sales of the required zero-emission vehicle.

“Automakers will certainly work to meet eventually accepted standards, but these draft requirements will be extremely stringent, even in California, and may not be achieved in all states that currently follow California’s schedule,” the group said.

Nine states, including New York and Massachusetts, follow California’s current zero-emission vehicle rules, which set sales and other requirements through the 2025 model year. Five other states will begin to comply with California’s rules for future model years. If the federal government approves California’s new plan, other states will have to decide whether to do the same.

Last month, Washington Governor Jay Inslee went further than California by signing a law that requires all new cars registered in the state to be electric by 2030. New York has a deadline of 2035.

Copyright © 2022 The Washington Times, LLC.



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