California has made headlines after the announcement of a 2035 ban for petrol and diesel-powered cars, with the governor signing an executive order implementing the ban.
California’s governor Gavin Newsom last week signed off on the order that would see petrol and diesel-powered cars off the road by 2035, stating that any vehicle sold in California after that date must be powered by a zero-emissions powertrain.
It states that “it shall be a goal of the State that 100 percent of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks will be zero-emission by 2035,” and adds that “it shall be a further goal of the State that 100 percent of medium and heavy-duty vehicles in the State will be zero-emission by 2045.”
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This order would see internal combustion engines that aren’t offered with an electric or hydrogen fuel cell hybrid option unable to be registered in the state. The order does not apply to vehicles sold before the ban is implemented, and offers an additional ten-year period for heavy duty vehicles to meet the Californian environmental requirements.
Signing off on the executive order, Californian Governor, Gavin Newsom said “if you want to reduce asthma, if you want to mitigate the rise of sea levels, if you want to mitigate the loss of ice sheets around the globe, then this is a policy for other states to follow,” he said, signing the order atop an electric-powered Ford.
“This is the most impactful step our state can take to fight climate change,” Newsom added. “For too many decades, we have allowed cars to pollute the air that our children and families breathe. You deserve to drive a car that doesn’t give your kids asthma. Our cars shouldn’t make wildfires worse – and create more days filled with smoky air.”
“Cars shouldn’t melt glaciers or raise sea levels threatening our cherished beaches and coastlines,” he added.
California joins the likes of Sweden, Israel, Norway, Germany, India and England who have introduced similar legislation for an exit-date of the internal combustion engine – without hybridisation – by 2030. France and Canada have also introduced similar orders, but their introduction looks set for 2040.
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California represents the largest automotive market in the United States with around 40 million residents. According to a report from The Mercury News, passenger vehicles are responsible for more than 28% of California’s emissions of greenhouse gases, and the production of petrol accounts for an additional 11%.
Fredd Krup, president of the Environmental Defense Fund has said that “this plan positions California to win a new generation of jobs building affordable zero emission vehicles – jobs that Europe and China are also hoping to capture.”
Governor Newsom made it the prerogative of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to provide a roadmap for manufacturers and consumers looking to meet the zero-emissions requirements of the order by 2035.
The Trump administration is a vocal critic of the Californian governor and his environmental policies, and a spokesperson for the President, Judd Deere has already criticized it. Mr Deere wrote that “they want the government to dictate every aspect of every American’s life, and the lengths to which they will go to destroy jobs and raise costs on the consumer is alarming.”
“President Trump won’t stand for it,” Deere added, suggesting the possibility of legal action from the White House over the executive order.
