Washington state is making a big statement in it’s ban on sales of new gas cars by 2035. The new policy requires 100% of new sales of passenger cars, trucks and SUVs in the state to be powered by electricity or hydrogen by 2035, with one-fifth allowed to be plug-in hybrids. Officials with the Washington Department of Ecology are confident electric cars won’t be out of reach when it comes to affordability. They expect as supply goes up; the cost will come down.
The state will be taking public comment on the new rule starting Sept. 7. Washington state will follow California and prohibit the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, Jay Inslee, the state governor, said. Nearly 20% of new vehicle registrations in Washington in July were either electric or hybrid, according to data from the state’s department of licensing. In total, 104,000 electric vehicles – either fully battery electric or a plug-in hybrid electric – are registered in the state, about 2.5 times the total from two years ago.
Ten years is the magic number. In 2020, lawmakers in the state passed a law directing the department of ecology to adopt California’s emissions standards. This year, they set a goal of phasing out sales of new internal combustion-powered cars by 2030. A state council, set up by Inslee to plan for the future of electric vehicles, held its first meeting in July.
Now would be a good time for those wanting to be in business of servicing charging stations. The state legislature also has budgeted $69m to set up “community charging” stations for people who don’t live in single-family homes. Washington leaders on the council talked about building a network of fast-charging stations on state highways. The effort will be helped by $71m from the federal government.
Cali is still moving fast and is aggressive about this change. California regulators moved forward last week with a landmark plan to phase out the sale of gas cars over the next 13 years in the US’s largest auto market. The specific regulations for Washington state are yet to be created and the public will have the chance to weigh in, the Seattle Times reported.
Clean air has always been the goal for some legislators. Transportation-related emissions account for more than 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington. The new regulations will incentivize manufacturers to make more and cheaper electric vehicles. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents many large carmakers, said meeting the state’s ambitious timeline would be challenging due to the lack of charging infrastructure, access to materials needed for batteries, and supply chain problems.
