Last year, California became the first state in the country to ban the sale of gasoline vehicles by 2035. As a result of this policy, residents of The Golden State will be forced to purchase electric cars in record time.
This week, Governor Gavin Newsom's office announced that the state reached its goal of 1.5 million electric vehicle sales two years ahead of schedule. According to data from the California Energy Commission, zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) accounted for 21.1% of all new vehicle sales in the state. In the first quarter of 2023 alone, 124,053 purchases were made:
In 2012, then-Governor Jerry Brown set a goal to hit that sales level by 2025. This year, 21% of all new cars sold in California this year have been ZEVs, and 40% of ZEVs sold in the U.S. are sold in California.
Newsom boasts of his "ambitious plan," while citizens aren't entirely convinced
Newsom argued that its plan to award $2 billion in incentives for the purchase of ZEVs has encouraged citizens to make the transition.
However, the law that the governor considered "bold" at the time, i.e. banning the purchase of combustion cars from 2035 onwards, is one of the main reasons that is forcing citizens to buy electric cars.
Some surveys reveal that not all Americans are convinced that they want to buy ZEVs. The main reasons for this decision are the high costs of ZEVs and the difficulty of recharging them and being able to drive them over long distances.
Despite this, the governor boasted that the state "is setting the bar for climate action – and we’re achieving our goals years ahead of schedule."
No other state in the nation is doing as much as we are to accelerate our electric and zero emissions future … thanks to unprecedented investments secured in partnership with the Legislature. We’re making real progress on the world’s most ambitious plan to end the tailpipe so our kids and grandkids are left with a cleaner, healthier planet.
