California has approved a ban on selling new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035 as the state has taken dramatic steps to reduce emissions and combat climate change. In a vote on Thursday, August 25th, state regulators moved forward with a plan to phase out the sale of gasoline cars over the next 13 years in America’s largest auto market. The policy will allow Californians to keep driving gas-powered vehicles and buying used ones after 2035, but no new models will be sold in the state. This will apply to all new cars, SUVs and trucks. The policy still needs federal approval, but that looks promising under Joe Biden’s administration.
The move is being hailed as a great victory that could pave the way for others. It has given the most populous US state some of the world’s most stringent regulations for transitioning to electric vehicles and making way for a greener tomorrow.
“This is a historic moment for California, for our partner states, and the world as we set forth this path toward a zero-emission future,” said Liane Randolph, Chair of the California Air Resources Board (Carb), the regulatory board that voted on the plan.
