12 state governors urge President to halt sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles
One day after Washington State passed a bill to halt the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles starting in 2030, the state’s governor was one of 12 U.S. governors who signed a letter urging Joe Biden to end the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035 as part of the President’s proposed $2 trillion infrastructure package.
The 1200-word letter was signed by the governors of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. Eleven are Democrat, one is Republican.
“By establishing a clear regulatory path to ensuring that all vehicles sold in the United States are zero-emission, we can finally clear the air and create high-road jobs,” the letter said, in part. “Moving quickly towards a zero-emission transportation future will protect the health of all communities. The proposed investments in the American Jobs Plan can be leveraged even further by a strong regulatory framework and will allow the market for American-made zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) to flourish.”
The governors urged Biden to set regulatory standards phasing out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035 and larger vehicles not powered by renewable sources by 2045. The group called for “substantial funding for investment in charging and fueling infrastructure” as part of Biden’s infrastructure plan. They also called for Biden to boost fuel economy standards, provide states with “substantial funding for investment in charging and fueling infrastructure,” and recommended removing or raising the EV tax credit limits per manufacturer.
