17 U.S. States Mulling California's EV Mandate

A total of seventeen U.S. states are mulling over whether or not to follow California’s lead and implement a total ban on the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger vehicles by 2035 to help drive EV sales.

According to the Associated Press, Washington, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Vermont are highly likely to introduce the California-style gas car ban, while the idea is facing more pushback in states like Minnesota and Virginia.

States have the option to follow the lead of the California Air Resources Board, which has federal authority to set its own emissions standards, or they can follow the less stringent federal emissions regulations, Scott Lambert, president of the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association, told the AP. However, Lambert says states cannot pick and choose what they like from each of the two emissions laws, so they will be forced to eventually side with California or the federal government.

CARB officially adopted the Advanced Clean Cars II rule in August, which “establishes a year-by-year roadmap so that by 2035 100 percent of new cars and light trucks sold in California will be zero-emission vehicles,” the regulator said. The law also allows for up to 20 percent of a manufacturer’s portfolio to consist of plug-in hybrid vehicles. Lawmakers expect the ruling to help drive EV sales in the U.S., as other states typically base their emissions regulations on California’s.

GM previously outlined plans to cease sales of new, fossil fuel-powered passenger vehicles by 2035, while 40 percent of the company’s U.S. models will be battery-electric by the end of 2025. The Cadillac brand will be the first GM-owned entity to switch to a full EV portfolio, with the luxury automaker set to phase out ICE vehicles from its lineup by 2030.

SOURCE: GM AUTHORITY