At least eight states plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars after 2035, and many more are considering joining them.
The adopted rules specify that only zero-emission vehicles – including electric vehicles and some plug-in hybrids – may be sold in participating states starting from the 2035 model year.
At that point traditional gas-powered cars on the road would not be affected, and motorists would still be allowed to buy used gas-powered cars. However, automakers and dealers would be prohibited from selling new gas-powered vehicles in states where the bans are in effect.
At the federal level, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new rules Wednesday that would require automakers to reduce emissions from new vehicles by about 50% from the 2026 to 2032 model year.
To get there, the EPA says it’s likely that 35% to 56% of vehicles will need to be electric vehicles and between 13% and 36% will need to be plug-in hybrids. These goals are less ambitious than an earlier EPA proposal that would have essentially required 67% of new cars sold to be electric vehicles by the 2032 model year.
States ban new gas-powered cars
Rhode Island was the latest state to join the group in plans to ban sales of new gas-powered cars. A statement from the governor’s office in May called the move “a pivotal moment in Rhode Island’s efforts to combat climate change.”
- California was the first state to adopt the Advanced Clean Cars II rule, which at least seven other states have now embraced.
- California’s plans specify that 35% of new car sales will be zero-emission vehicles by 2026, with the percentage rising to 68% by 2030.
- In a March 2023 statement announcing Maryland’s plan to phase out sales of new gas-powered cars, Gov. Wes Moore said “it is an important step in the state’s acceleration to improve air quality and combat effects of climate change”.
- All the planned bans concern coastal states: in addition to the three states already mentioned, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia have committed to no longer allow the sale of new gas-powered vehicles after 2035.
- Generally, states’ plans did not require votes from their legislatures. Instead, they were pushed forward with the support of governors and environmental regulators.
Other states consider bans on gas-powered cars
Megan O’Toole, of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, says the state adopted Advanced Clean Cars II in December 2022, including the 2035 zero-emission vehicle requirement for new car sales. However, Vermont Governor Phil Scott did not express support and his office did not respond to a request for comment.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin promises the state will not ban the sale of new gas-powered cars after 2035, but the state’s emissions standards are currently tied to California’s, and the latest attempt to repeal the law failed at state senate in January. As a spokesperson for the sustainability nonprofit Ceres explains, “Virginia has passed legislation merging the state with California standards… For now, VA is technically required by law to implement ACC II starting in ‘model year 2026.’
This fall, Delaware and Colorado finalized rules that would require 82% of new cars to be zero-emission vehicles by 2032, but officials have not adopted bans for 2035.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced in July that the state will set annual goals for the sale of new zero-emission vehicles and that New Mexico may adopt parts of Advanced Clean Cars II. Like Delaware and Colorado, New Mexico has not passed the 2035 ban. The rules the state is proposing “do not prohibit the sale or possession of new or used gasoline-powered vehicles,” according to a spokesperson for Lujan Grisham.
For a brief period of time, nine states were pushing toward 2035 bans, but Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont withdrew his plan when he faced legislative opposition. The matter is expected to be reviewed this year.
Why the ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars is important
As states propose plans to ban new gas-powered cars, automakers may feel pressured to speed up production of electric cars.
According to Kelley Blue Book, in 2023, 7.6% of new vehicle sales were electric, a notable increase from 3.2% in 2021. The transition to electric cars is already underway, and the 2035 bans show how quickly it could to accelerate.
Automakers are switching to electric vehicles
Ultimately, it’s unclear how restrictive these bans will end up being, as major automakers ramp up production of electric vehicles with plans to phase out gas-powered models.
- For example, General Motors plans to complete the full transition to electric vehicle sales by 2035. Some smaller automakers have announced even more ambitious timeframes.
- European Union lawmakers have approved a total ban on new gas-powered cars starting in 2035, so it’s hard to imagine that many gas-powered cars from European automakers will still be on the market in the United States by then.
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