California is set to become the first state in America to place a total ban on the sale of new fossil-fuel powered cars.
A new policy to ban the sale of new internal combustion engine cars in the state was outlined yesterday and will require all new cars sold in the state to be ‘emissions free’ by 2035.
It also requires that 35 per cent of new vehicles sold in California must produce zero emissions by 2026, increasing to 68 per cent by 2030 according to the New York Times.
California is known to uphold strict emissions standards and often leads the way in setting them with other states adopting similar rules. That means if the ban is accepted, states like New York, Colorado, Oregon and Washington could follow suit.
The state currently requires a biannual emissions check for petrol vehicles sold after 1975 and diesel vehicles sold after 1997. New vehicles don’t require an inspection if they are less than eight years old.
However, policies like this aren’t unheard of internationally as they currently ring true for most nations around the world including New Zealand which plans to ban the import and sale of new ICE vehicles by 2040 if not sooner.
Considering California is the United States’ largest automotive market as far as each state is concerned, if accepted, the policy will pose a tough challenge ahead for the installation of necessary electric vehicle infrastructure and energy sources.
A vote by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will take place tomorrow with the acceptance of the proposal likely.
