California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Wednesday that bans the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles in the state by 2035.
With this, California plans to phase out the sale of all gasoline-powered vehicles and to drastically reduce demand for fossil fuel in its fight against climate change.
The order directs the California Air Resources Board to develop a plan that would require the sales of all new cars and passenger trucks in California be zero-emission vehicles by 2035, and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles be zero-emission by 2045 where feasible.
Further, all drayage trucks, as well as off-road vehicles and equipment in the state are planned to be zero-emission by 2035.
However, the order will not prevent Californians from owning gasoline-powered cars or selling them on the used car market.
The Governor is also asking the Legislature to end the issuance of new hydraulic fracturing permits by 2024.
The state is also asked to take additional measures to eliminate harmful emissions from the transportation sector.
As of now, the transportation sector is responsible for more than 50 percent of California's Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 80 percent of smog-forming pollution and 95 percent of toxic diesel emissions.
The state's target to make all new passenger cars and trucks zero-emission would help achieve more than a 35 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an 80 percent improvement in oxides of nitrogen emissions from cars statewide.
The governor said in a statement, "This is the most impactful step our state can take to fight climate change. ..Californians shouldn't have to worry if our cars are giving our kids asthma. Our cars shouldn't make wildfires worse - and create more days filled with smoky air. Cars shouldn't melt glaciers or raise sea levels.."
It is expected that by 2035, zero-emission vehicles will almost certainly be cheaper and better than the traditional fossil fuel powered cars.
In the last six months, the California Air Resources Board has approved new regulations requiring truck manufacturers to transition to electric zero-emission trucks beginning in 2024.
The Governor also signed an MOU with 14 other states to advance and accelerate the market for electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
With the latest order, California will be joining 15 countries, including the U.K, that have already committed to phase out gasoline-powered cars.
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