Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Thursday that he would be joining California in making his state reduce new gas and diesel car sales by 2035.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB), which governs motor vehicle emissions for the state, initially put in place new rules requiring 35% of new cars sold in Washington to be either electric or plug-in hybrids by 2026. By 2013 they are looking for that percentage to increase to 68% and by 2035, they would like it to be 100%.
California also has a waiver that allows it to set its own air quality regulations. These are typically stricter than the national regulations.
Washington and Massachusetts already have laws that would go into effect if CARB passed on. These would trigger gas car sales bans.
In a tweet, Inslee also wrote that they were willing to adopt California’s regulations by the end of the year if CARB did not pass. He also spoke about their goal to reduce new car sales emissions to zero by 2030.
New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington D.C., Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, are all following CARB rules regarding car emissions.
However, Republican Rep. Andy Barkis has warned that a ban on internal combustion engines would hurt both manufacturers and consumers.
CARB’s rules are pending federal government approval. Once approved, both Washington and Massachusetts will be codifying the regulations.
