California Bans Gas Powered Cars
A California ban will go into effect in 2035 regarding the sale of newly made gas-powered vehicles.
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A California ban will go into effect in the year 2035 regarding the sale of newly made gas-powered vehicles. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the edict on Wednesday with the intention that it will help decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 35% in the most populous state in the United States.
Governor Newsom clarified that the California ban would not restrict citizens who already own gas-powered cars. The directive would also not prohibit the sale of gas-powered vehicles on the used car market. Instead, it would cut off all sales of newly manufactured gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks in the state.
The California ban will be an incredibly effective one if it is maintained. California is home to nearly 40 million United States citizens, and Californians account for more than one out of every 10 new vehicles sold in the country. With that sizable kind of impact on the auto industry, this order would undeniably have an enormous influence on the entire business world.
Even more than that, the California ban could be a game-changing one in regards to pollution reduction and battling climate change. California already has mandates in effect that a certain percentage of new car sales must be either zero-emission or electric vehicles. With tailpipe exhaust from transportation vehicles making up one of the largest sources of air pollution, this would push California even further towards reducing their carbon footprint.
The announcement of the California ban is sure to initiate some high-level discussions between the leading figures of the auto industry. Automakers have been integrating electric vehicles into a lot of their production lines, but this new directive from Governor Gavin Newsom will almost assuredly fast-track any plans they already had in the works. According to Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at auto pricing site Edmunds.com, the auto industry was not expecting a zero-emissions mandate in the next 15 years.
This California ban will undoubtedly send shockwaves throughout the entire global marketplace. California’s dominance as an economic power in relation to both the United States and the rest of the world means that they can set the tempo for many worldwide important decisions. This directive to halt and prohibit the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles will not just change things in the Golden State. If this edict is enacted and followed, it will assuredly force other territories to consider similar decisions.
There is no question that global pollution, especially from automobiles, has contributed to a steady decline in the health of our planet. California is currently seeing those side effects with its devastating wildfires. With the automobile industry playing a vital role in the future health of our planet, it seems like their interest in facilitating advancements in non-fossil fuel dependent vehicles has not been at the level it needs to be. Governor Gavin Newsom’s California ban is making a concerted decision to force their hand. It’s a clear tactic but one that is concerned primarily with the health of the planet instead of profits.
It will be interesting to see how this California ban is administered in the next fifteen years and what the political response to it will be. At the end of the day, if it can help the planet and change the culture of the automobile industry for the better, then we hope it can do so.
