California is expected to finalize a rule that would ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
The rule is likely to enter into effect on Thursday, according to the New York Times.
The California Air Resources Board rule will require that 100 percent of all new cars sold in the state be free of carbon emissions.
The state board will vote on the adaptation of the rule, and board member Daniel Sperling told CNN he is “99.9%” confident the rule would be approved.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared to confirm the implementation of the rule in a statement.
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“The climate crisis is solvable if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to stem the tide of carbon pollution,” said the environmentalist governor, according to The Times.
The rule would implement interim quotas on the sales of electric cars. In 2026, 35 percent of small pickups, SUV’s and cars sold in California would have to be zero-emission vehicles, CNN reported.
This quota would increase to 51 percent in 2028 and 68 percent in 2030 before hitting 100 percent in 2035.
An automotive industry trade group president said California’s requirements will prove difficult for manufacturers to meet.
Ban all new gasoline cars?
“Whether or not these requirements are realistic or achievable is directly linked to external factors like inflation, charging and fuel infrastructure, supply chains, labor, critical mineral availability and pricing, and the ongoing semiconductor shortage,” according to an email from John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, The Times reported.
Canada, Britain, and nine European countries including France, Spain and Denmark have set goals for phasing out gasoline vehicles between 2030 and 2040. But their plans don’t strictly bar the sale of gasoline cars like the proposed California rule would.
The supply chain for materials involved in the construction of electric vehicles is heavily dependent on lithium, an element that has fluctuated wildly in price.
Much of the lithium extraction industry is also centered in China.
Electric vehicles are still generally unaffordable to most American motorists. The average cost of an EV clocked in at over $60,000 in June.
The rule could alter the economics of car ownership in other states, considering California has the biggest state economy and the most drivers in the country.
The state has nearly 10 million more licensed drivers than Texas, its closest competitor, according to Statista.
Five more states are expected to follow California in adopting a cutoff date for the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles within the next year, and 12 states in total could adopt the mandate in the near future, according to The Times.
