Washington and Massachusetts to follow California's gas car sales ban
States can opt into California Air Resources Board policies
Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced on Thursday that the state would join California in phasing out new gas and diesel car sales by 2035.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) that governs motor vehicle emissions for the state adopted new rules that will require 35% of the new cars sold in the state are electric or plug-in hybrids by 2026, with that percentage rising to 68% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.
California has a waiver from the federal government to set its own air quality rules, and other states are allowed to opt into its regulations, which are typically more stringent than the national standards.
Washington and Massachusetts have laws on the books that were written to trigger gas car sales bans if CARB passed one.
THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT IS CHANGING ELECTRIC CAR TAX CREDITS
California will require that all new cars sold in the state are electric or plug-in hybrids by 2035. (AP / AP Newsroom)
"This is a critical milestone in our climate fight. Washington set in law a goal for all new car sales to be zero emissions by 2030 and we’re ready to adopt California’s regs by end of this year," Inslee tweeted ahead of CARB's final decision.
Washington has over 100,000 electric vehicles registered, giving it one of the highest per capita concentrations in the U.S., with EVs accounting for 8% of registrations in July.
ELECTRIC CAR TAX CREDIT: THESE ARE ALL OF THE VEHICLES THAT STILL QUALIFY … FOR NOW
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont and Washington D.C., currently follow CARB rules on car emissions, but they have not yet officially announced electric car mandates.
Alliance for Automotive Innovation president reveals the key to bringing down electric vehicle prices
Alliance for Automotive Innovation President and CEO John Bozzella discusses the prices and innovation of electric vehicles, arguing the U.S. needs access to raw materials.
Republican Rep. Andy Barkis, ranking member of the Washington House’s transportation committee, said he felt the push to ban internal combustion engines would hurt both manufacturers and consumers.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
"I believe the market is best to continue to determine how we transition," he said.
California has the highest rate of EV ownership in the U.S. (Photo by Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images / Getty Images)
CARB's rule still needs final federal government approval to go into effect, and Washington and Massachusetts will need to move forward with codifying the regulations before they can be enforced.
The sale of used gas and diesel cars will not be restricted and owners of non-EVs purchased out of state will still be allowed to register them.
The Associated Press contributed to this report