California and Massachusetts orders banning sales of gasoline cars by 2035 now appear relatively cautious. The edge reports that the Washington State House and Senate voted for an amendment to the Bill, Clean Cars 2030, that would phase out sales of new gasoline cars from model year 2030 – electric vehicles would be your only choice after that. This includes vehicles purchased in other states and imported into the state.
The initiative would only be launched if the state approves a mileage tax to help fund transportation infrastructure. Governor Jay Inslee has yet to sign the bill as of this writing.
A signing would not only see Washington defeat other states to ban the sale of gasoline cars, but would make it the first to institute a ban through a vote instead of an executive order. This makes it more difficult for future governors to overturn or relax the ban.
This could create headaches for some makes of cars. Ford, Mini, Volvo and others plan to go electric for most or all of their rosters by 2030, but GM doesn’t expect to use only the EV until 2035. Washington’s measure could force GM and others to cut some of their queues in the state, even if cars with combustion engines are then in the minority. It could, however, prompt automakers to step up their electrification and could inform transitions of electric vehicles in other states.
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