Automakers’ trade group described the target as “extremely challenging”. Although California leads the nation in electric vehicle sales, they still account for less than a fifth of the market there. The California Air Resources Board voted 14-0 to approve the regulation Thursday. Starting in 2026, 35 percent of new vehicles sold in California must emit zero emissions. The target increases each year, reaching 68 percent in 2030 and 100 percent in 2035, with a small share allowed to be plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. “This is absolutely historic,” said board member Daniel Florez. “Climate change is the single most important generational challenge we face today, and this board is tackling it head on.” The regulation formalizes an executive order California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued nearly two years ago calling for the phasing out of sales of new gasoline-powered cars and trucks. By 2045, the state has separately committed to eliminating emissions from the electric grid, the main source of energy for electric vehicles. California has long been regarded as a pioneer in US environmental legislation, dating back to rules it introduced in the 1960s that limited motor vehicle emissions. More than a dozen states are following its air quality regulatory lead. The state also accounts for about 12 percent of the U.S. market, with 1.9 million cars sold in 2021. Given its size, the push for zero-emission cars will put pressure on manufacturers to electrify their lineups faster. “This is a big issue,” said Howard Learner, executive director of the Chicago-based Center for Environmental Law and Policy. “California’s clean car policies help advance the national and, to some extent, the global auto market.” Automakers are already investing billions to build their EV offerings, taking advantage of consumer demand and federal incentives like those extended in a climate and tax bill passed by Congress this month. But John Bozzella, chief executive of the automaker trade group Alliance for Automotive Innovation, called California’s regulation “too aggressive.” Achieving EV sales targets is tied to factors such as inflation, charging and fuel infrastructure, supply chains, labor, critical mineral availability and pricing, and semiconductor shortages, he said. “These are complex, interrelated and global issues far beyond the control of either [the California Air Resources Board] or the automotive industry,” Bozzella said.

Ford and General Motors have said they are committed to a zero-emissions future. Bob Holycross, Ford’s chief sustainability officer, called the California regulation “a landmark.” Cara Horowitz, co-executive director of the Emmett Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at the University of California, Los Angeles, called the regulation “a great step” but said California should build out its charging infrastructure at an “aggressive pace.” . to power the electric vehicles that are expected to make up the majority of new sales. He also said it will be a challenge for automakers to supply enough electric vehicles that customers will want to buy. “It’s one thing for California to mandate a percentage of zero-emission car sales, and it’s another thing for automakers to build, market and sell that number of cars,” Horowitz said. “Consumers have to want these cars, and I think they will — the car companies are some of the smartest marketers in the country.” Video: Cars, companies, countries: the race for electricity

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