After 2040, new cars powered by internal-combustion engines would be banned from California roads
By NACS Online
The Sacramento Bee reports that a California lawmaker wants to phase out gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles.
When the legislature returns in January, the news source writes that Assemblyman Phil Ting plans to introduce a bill that would ban the sale of new cars powered by internal-combustion engines after 2040. Ting says that if the state is going to meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets, it’s essential that California drivers move to an all-electric fleet.
“The market is moving this way. The entire world is moving this way,” Ting said. “At some point you need to set a goal and put a line in the sand.”
The news source adds that California already committed five years ago to putting 1.5 million “zero-emission vehicles,” such as electric cars and plug-in hybrids, on the road by 2025. The state also wants EVs and PHEVs to account for 15% of all new car sales by 2025. Other countries considering similar bans include China, France and Great Britain.
A recent NACS Convenience Matters podcast examines what the future might hold for U.S. gas stations in the episode, “Is It the End for Gas Stations?” Podcast hosts talk about whether the United States would go the route of other countries in going to an all-electric vehicle fleet.
John Eichberger of the Fuels Institute explains in the podcast that it’s unlikely the U.S. would take similar action. “The United States is not the same size as France and Great Britain. They have a minimal percentage of our vehicle sales every year and the number of miles traveled is a small fraction of U.S. drivers,” he says.
With newer technologies in cars coming on the market, Eichberger says that by 2040 EV sales will continue to grow, but gasoline-powered vehicle sales in the U.S. will continue to remain competitive.
