California Set to Ban Fossil Fuel Cars By 2035

By Staff, Agencies

All new cars sold in California by 2035 will have to be zero emission under plans set to be adopted by the state this week, as the biggest economy in the United States drives a nationwide fossil fuel evolution.

Proposals to be debated by the California Air Resources Board [CARB] this week will formalize targets set by Governor Gavin Newsom - and will likely prod other US states in the same direction.

The plans, which board member Daniel Sperling recently told CNN News he was "99.9 percent" confident would be adopted, also include incremental steps mandating more than a third of 2026 sales in the state be zero emission, and over two-thirds by 2030.

"This is monumental," Sperling told CNN. "This is the most important thing that CARB has done in the last 30 years. It's important not just for California, but it's important for the country and the world."

California's more-than 40 million consumers make it the biggest market in the US.

As such, the imposed rules impact manufacturers' production plans across the country, as well as further afield because they cannot afford to miss out.

This means California can, in effect, set national standards.

The likely ruling on Thursday comes on the heels of a climate law signed last week by US President Joe Biden, which sets aside hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives for clean energy programs.