PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – On the heels of California announcing that all new cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the state must run on electricity or hydrogen by 2035, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee stated his state plans to do the same.
Inslee tweeted California’s breaking news Wednesday and said Washington is ready to adopt the same regulations by the end of 2022 and has already set a law that requires all new car sales to be zero-emission by 2030.
The 2020 passage of Senate Bill 5811 in Washington allows the state to adopt California vehicle emissions standards.
“Now that California has completed rulemaking for 2035 and beyond, the state will move forward with adopting similar standards,” said Mike Faulk, Inslee’s press secretary.
The Washington Department of Ecology will initiate the rulemaking to adopt the California standards.
The state expects to open a public comment period on the topic in September.
“This is a critical milestone in our climate fight, which is why Washington is poised to institute these same requirements by the end of the year. We look forward to partnering with other states and the Biden Administration to rapidly reduce the country’s primary source of greenhouse gas emissions,” Inslee said in a statement.
The Washington State Auto Dealers Association said it supports the legislature’s goal of all-electric vehicle sales and remains committed to making the investments in training and infrastructure necessary to provide customers with the electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles the state will need to meet its goal.
“WSADA has been actively participating in the rulemaking Department of Ecology began in January to adopt early action credits for zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales before the program starts in 2024, and California’s revised ACC II rule,” Executive Vice President Vicki Giles Fabré wrote in a statement.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said the state is in the process of developing its own Advanced Clean Cars II regulation. She said the proposed rule is similar to California’s and will help meet greenhouse gas emission targets, improve air quality and public health, lead the production of electric vehicles, and support the development of a used, zero-emission vehicle market.
California’s policy to require all new cars, trucks and SUVs to run on electricity or hydrogen by 2035 was approved Thursday by regulators. The policy aims to dramatically cut carbon emissions in the state and bring an eventual end to gasoline-powered vehicles.
The policy decision came from the California Air Resources Board, two years after Gov. Gavin Newsom directed regulators to consider enforcing the change. The policy still needs federal approval.
If the state reaches its goal, California would cut emissions from cars in half by 2040.
The move makes California the state with the most strict regulations for transitioning to electric vehicles.
Under the policy, Californians would be allowed to keep driving gas-powered vehicles and buying used ones after 2035, but no new models would be sold in the state.
The proposal also aims to have 35% of new vehicles sold in 2026 be zero-emission, with increasing percentages each year. It calls for requirements for warranties, durability, streamlined fast-charging, capable charging cords, repair information, and battery range.
There are already more than 1.1 million electric vehicles registered in California, making it the nation’s largest electric vehicle market.
The Associated Press and KTLA contributed to this report.