California is on its way to banning the sale of new gas-powered cars in the state. The Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, approved Aug. 25 by the California Air Resources Board, would require all new cars, trucks and SUVs sold in California to be zero emissions by 2035.
While it’s a far cry from national reform, the California rule impacts the largest car-buying market in the U.S., and it’s already being adopted by some other states. Does that mean you’ll be forced to buy an electric vehicle, or EV? Nope. But the pressure is on for the auto industry.
What is the California rule?
Under the new regulations, California set benchmarks for new-vehicle sales starting with model year 2026, when 35% of new-car sales in the state have to be battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. Right now, more than 16% of new vehicles sold in California are zero-emissions or hybrid models, according to California regulators.
With that kind of head start in the state,…
This article was written by Taryn Phaneuf and originally published on www.nerdwallet.com