California hits the table and will ban the sale of combustion engine cars starting in 2035

The U.S. state said that all new cars must be electric or generate no carbon emissions in another 15 years.

The battle for electric cars took a huge blow. California, one of the states leading the battle against global warming and climate change, announced that as of 2035 it will stop marketing combustion vehicles. With the signature of Gavin Newsom, governor of California, it was established by executive order that in 15 years the sale of cars powered by fossil fuels will be prohibited.

From that date, all new cars will have to be electric or not generate carbon emissions (be carbon neutral). This will give manufacturers time to ensure that larger vehicles also meet these requirements.

“For too many decades we have allowed cars to pollute the air our children and families breathe,” Newsom said, adding that “they deserve a car that doesn’t give their children asthma. Our cars shouldn’t make wildfires worse and create more days when the air is full of smoke.”

However, the regulation will not prohibit the use of internal combustion vehicles prior to that deadline, nor will it prevent residents from buying cars outside the jurisdiction and using them there.

Among the reasons given by Governor Newsom, he highlighted the environmental and economic benefits generated by electric cars. He used Tesla, which has one of its plants in the state, as an example, and highlighted the fact that Ford has begun to produce electric vehicles.

Reaction in Chile

The bi-national organization Chile California Council, based in San Francisco (California), an organization that seeks to promote mutually beneficial relations and the exchange of knowledge between Chile and California in the public and private sectors, expressed its satisfaction with the measure and how it could generate effects in other countries, including Chile.

Rafael Friedmann, president of the Chile California Council, stated that “I applaud the executive order of the governor of the State of California, Gavin Newsom, which prohibits the sale of vehicles with internal combustion engines in California as of 2035. His action shows great vision and courage and will provide the impetus for the transformation of the transportation sector that we need if we are to meet the challenge of climate change”.

He added that “the move is a clear message that California, which accounts for about 10% of the U.S. vehicle market, will no longer tolerate or accept the externalities that fossil fuels cause to society and nature; putting us on a clear path to a sustainable future. Given the impact California is having in both the U.S. and other global markets, I expect many others will soon emulate this action. Vehicle manufacturers will have to adapt if they want to stay in business. Electric vehicles are much better for transportation, perform better (acceleration, stability, lower operating and maintenance costs), reduce resource expenditure (fewer parts, less use of non-renewable fuels), and significantly reduce impacts to human health and nature. I suspect that well before 2035 the same consumers will prefer electric vehicles”.

As for the effects it may have on other markets, Friedmann said that “other countries, such as Chile, would do well to replicate this action and only invest in the future in the infrastructure that supports these necessary changes for the survival of humans, their societies and the nature that sustains us. These types of measures furthermore, offer significant opportunities for employment and a more just and resilient society and economy.”

Source: LA TERCERA