California Governor orders all new cars and passenger trucks sold in California be ZEVS by 2035; medium-and heavy duty trucks by 2045
23 September 2020
California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order requiring sales of all new passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035 and additional measures to eliminate harmful emissions from the transportation sector.
Following the order, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) will develop regulations to mandate that 100% of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks are zero-emission by 2035—a target which would achieve more than a 35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an 80% improvement in NOx emissions from cars statewide.
In addition, the Air Resources Board will develop regulations to mandate that all operations of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles shall be 100% zero emission by 2045 where feasible, with the mandate going into effect by 2035 for drayage trucks.
Further, ARB, in coordination with other State agencies, US Environmental Protection Agency and local air districts, will develop strategies to achieve 100% zero-emission from off-road vehicles and equipment operations in California by 2035.
To ensure needed infrastructure to support zero-emission vehicles, the order requires state agencies, in partnership with the private sector, to accelerate deployment of affordable fueling and charging options. It also requires support of new and used zero-emission vehicle markets to provide broad accessibility to zero-emission vehicles for all Californians.
The executive order will not prevent Californians from owning gasoline-powered cars or selling them on the used car market.
By the time the new rule goes into effect, zero-emission vehicles will almost certainly be cheaper and better than the traditional fossil fuel powered cars, the Governor’s office said. The upfront cost of electric vehicles are projected to reach parity with conventional vehicles in just a matter of years, and the cost of owning the car—both in maintenance and how much it costs to power the car mile for mile—is less than a fossil-fuel burning vehicle.
The executive order also sets clear deliverables for new health and safety regulations that protect workers and communities from the impacts of oil extraction. It supports companies who transition their upstream and downstream oil production operations to cleaner alternatives.
It also directs the state to make sure taxpayers are not stuck with the bill to safely close and remediate former oil fields. To protect the health and safety of our communities and workers, the Governor is also asking the Legislature to end the issuance of new hydraulic fracturing permits by 2024.
The executive order directs state agencies to develop strategies for an integrated, statewide rail and transit network, and incorporate safe and accessible infrastructure into projects to support bicycle and pedestrian options, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
That's a real gutsy move for any U.S. politician; he is turning down any supporting campaign funding or favors from the powerful fossil fuel interest...But, I think He is doing the right thing...sooner or later, most of us will be driving electric cars.
Posted by: Lad | 23 September 2020 at 07:28 PM
I don't think it's a good move, either electric cars will replace ICE cars because they are better or they they won't, I think they will but you got to let it play out, so many on the other side hate mandates they will drive the poorer option just out of spite - I'd just increase the gas tax a few pennies, maybe let electric cars go two years between inspections and buy a few electric school buses.
Posted by: William Stockwell | 23 September 2020 at 09:21 PM
Cleaner air and less imported oil is good for us all.
They need to provide incentives to help the mandate.
Posted by: SJC | 24 September 2020 at 04:29 PM
@William Stockwell:
In an ideal market that would be a good plan; but, the Government has been paying millions in subsidies to oil companies for decades, which supports indirectly building internal combustion engine vehicles...the U.S, government is hard into mucking with the market, especially the present President who taxes the American people with huge tariffs on foreign goods. The ideal market doesn't exist in the U.S.
Anything that accelerates the transition to clean energy is welcomed. because it's for the good of the corporations and the populous, not necessarily just for the corporations. Btw, EVs are better than ICEVs in many ways including less maintenance, better performance and are far better for the health of the people. Once you owe one, you can't go back to obsolete, dirty fossil fuel-powered cars.
Posted by: Lad | 24 September 2020 at 06:54 PM
@Lad
I agree with you in fact I'd say the oil companies have been getting 100s of Billions not Millions in subsides (I consider that about a third of our military budget is directly for the purpose of controlling the flow of oil) but we have to take politics into consideration as well as science, don't think it's impossible for California to get a republican governor who is less concerned with climate change, I think there are many more subtle things and overall more effective things you can do to help move the needle to electric - for example you could give gas stations an incentive to put in a charging station or two, a 1% interest rate 96 month electric car loan, instead of tax based incentives I'd like a a climate change prevention card with about $10,000 on it that could be used towards anything from LED lighting to solar cells to electric cars to geothermal exchange heating and cooling or anything in that vein .
Posted by: William Stockwell | 25 September 2020 at 03:14 PM
California dreaming at it's best , looks like another clown who failed history class.
Posted by: THEBANKER | 29 September 2020 at 03:22 AM