The Washington state legislature held a public hearing on Clean Cars 2030, a bill reintroduced with 27 co-sponsors. The bill, HB 1204/SB 5256, requires all model year 2030 or later passenger and light-duty vehicles sold in Washington State to be electric.

Since the bill was introduced last year as the first-of-its-kind in the US to set a deadline for the transition to EVs, California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey have announced 2035 targets for ending sales of new internal combustion engined cars.

The bill:

• Requires the Washington State Transportation Commission (Commission) to adopt regulations on or before 1 January 2025, mandating that all model year 2030 or later passenger and light-duty vehicles registered in Washington be electric vehicles, except for emergency services vehicles. Electric vehicles are defined as “vehicles that use energy stored in rechargeable battery packs or in hydrogen that rely solely on electric motors for propulsion.”

• Prohibits the Department of Licensing from registering vehicles that are not in compliance with these regulations for model year 2030 or later passenger and light-duty vehicles.

• Requires the Commission to develop a scoping plan for these regulations by 1 September 2023, and submit it to the transportation committees of the Legislature.

The scoping plan must include analysis related to:

1. the predicted number of EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles registered in the state;

2. the EV charging needs and estimates of annual investments required;

3. electrical utility infrastructure updates and build-out needed and annual investments required;

4. grid optimization through control strategies for smart charging and discharging during the transition period;

5. yearly job gains and losses as a result of the 2030 requirement;

6. impacts to state transportation revenues and recommendations for alternatives to the gas tax;

7. impacts on equity, especially in disadvantaged and low-income communities, communities of color, and rural communities, and strategies for maximizing equity in implementation; and

8. a transition strategy for those negatively impacted by the requirement.