New York will follow California in banning gas car sales by 2035

Democrat New York Mayor Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday that New York will take a similar position to California by banning the sale of gasoline-powered cars and light trucks by 2035.

California will ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles starting in 2035. The California Air Resources Board followed up by saying they would force car manufacturers to increase production of cleaner vehicles beginning in 2026 until sales of only zero-emission cars, pickup trucks and SUVs are allowed in the state.

In New York All passenger cars, pickup trucks and SUVs sold will have to be classified as “zero-emissions vehicles” by no later than 2035, to be sold in New York according to a press release.

Hochul also instructed New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation to start rolling out the new rules which will also require 35% of state vehicle sales to consist of electric cars by 2026, before increasing to 68% by 2030.

“With sustained state and federal investments, our actions are incentivizing New Yorkers, local governments, and businesses to make the transition to electric vehicles,” Hochul said in a statement.

“We had to wait for California to take a step because there’s some federal requirement that California had to go first,” she added. “We’re driving New York’s transition to clean transportation forward, and today’s announcement will benefit our climate and the health of our communities for generations to come.”

Hochul first announced New York’s 2035 deadline in September 2021, but couldn’t begin implementation until California finalized their own ban.

“We had to wait for California to take a step because there’s some federal requirements that California had to go first,” Hochul said. “That’s the only time we’re letting them go first.”