The classic California road trip could be a thing of the past with a sales ban on new petrol-fuelled cars by 2035, which will speed up the transition to electric vehicles as many US states will follow California’s trend-setting lead, The New York Times reports.
The state is electrifying the nation as it became the first in the US to move to phase out gas-powered vehicles after the California Air Resources Board approved the move to ban the sales of new petrol-engine cars by 2035 in favour of electricity or hydrogen.
The landmark moment for climate change is literally huge as California’s economy would rank as the world’s fifth largest if it were a country.
The state is historically a trendsetter around auto emissions rules, with more than 12 states set to follow the gas-powered car ban after the announcement, including Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts and New York.
Nevada introduced its Electric Highway back in 2018 with EV charging stations along US Route 95, connecting Reno to Las Vegas, with additional infrastructure due in 2022.
The US Government also plans to build a nationwide network of EV chargers, aka Alternative Fuel Corridors, by 2030 with 500,000 roadside rapid charging stations.
Challenges to the transition include the cost of EVs, the market demand (only three per cent of total car sales in 2021 were for electric vehicles) and existing infrastructure.
Via NYT
