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Banning Gas-Fuelled Cars: Can California Achieve Net-Zero Emissions?3 min read

Oct 23, 2022 2 min
Gas-Fuelled Cars ban in California

Banning Gas-Fuelled Cars: Can California Achieve Net-Zero Emissions?3 min read

Reading Time: 2 minutes

In an effort to fulfill its promise of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, California is set to ban all gas-fuelled cars by 2035. Read to find out about the state’s relentless fight against climate change.

In light of the looming threat of climate change, world leaders strive to reduce carbon emissions. The United States, under the Biden government, has started making policy changes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The transportation industry accounts for 27% of the total greenhouse gas emissions by the U.S., which means changes in the transport systems (and related sectors like parking) can contribute to fulfilling the net-zero promise.

California to Ban Gas-Fuelled Cars

Within the U.S., California is leading by example in tackling climate change. Given the significant impact that transportation has on greenhouse gas emissions, California has decided to achieve 100% new zero-emissions car sales by 2035. While this is a tall order to deliver within such a short time span, plans and efforts are well underway. The breakdown is as follows:

  • 2026: 35% zero-emission vehicle sales
  • 2030: 65% zero-emission vehicle sales
  • 2035: 100% zero-emission vehicle sales

How does the state plan to achieve these goals?

California has banned the sale of all gas-powered vehicles by 2035, which leaves motorists no choice but to shift to Electric Vehicles (EVs). As of now, there are more than 1.13 billion registered plug-in vehicles across the state, but are these changes sufficient for California to achieve its promise of zero emissions?

The Impact of Zero-Emission Vehicle Sales

Banning internal combustion engine vehicles will significantly contribute to fewer carbon emissions.

Gas-powered vehicles produce more than 11k pounds of emissions per vehicle compared to zero tailpipe emissions by all-electric vehicles. The only emissions produced are by the power plant itself. However, there are mixed reviews about this.

Experts believe that while this mandate is ambitious and practical, it lacks the kind of stringent regulation needed to make this work. This holds especially true for California, home to regions with the worst air quality.

To add to that, there is contention about the sustainability of the supply chain – for example, is there enough supply of lithium to produce batteries for such a large number of electric cars?

While we have hopes for California’s ban on gas-fuelled cars, we are yet to see if the state can follow through with this.

Also Read: How Excessive Parking in California Impacts the Climate

Join the EV Revolution

With future generations eagerly looking toward affordable and sustainable EV models, it is clear that the future is electric!

If you’re a parking operator looking to upgrade your locations, offering EV charging as a value-added service is a great idea for futureproofing your business! With GMP EV, you can offer value-added services like EV charging through a custom-branded parking app or web app!

Here’s why you should choose GMP EV to transform your parking lot into a mobility hub:

What are you waiting for? Contact sales@getmyparking.com for a free demo or check GMP EV out on our website!