Another 13 years, then in the American state of California, passenger cars and light commercial vehicles that are powered by an internal combustion engine will be gone. True to a similar decision by the European Union, the Democratic-led government in the capital Sacramento has announced that it will ban new registrations of diesel and gasoline cars by 2035. The ambitious and uncompromising project is likely to have dramatic effects not only for the USA.
The California Air Resources Board CARB, a Californian government commission that has existed since 1967, is internationally known for its particularly strict clean air legislation proposals, which are usually far more drastic than the regulations passed by the US federal government. This was also the case this time last Thursday with the “Advanced Clean Cars II” rule that was passed, with which it poses massive problems for the American and also the international automotive industry, which exports its vehicles to the state on the Pacific coast California is hailing the nation and the world with a regulation that sets ambitious but achievable targets for zero-emission vehicle sales. The rapid increase of these cars on our streets and highways will bring significant emissions and pollution reductions for all Californians, especially for those who live near roads and suffer from persistent air pollution,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph with pride 16 Percent Zero EmissionsCurrently, 16 percent of new cars and light trucks sold in California are considered zero emission vehicles. This proportion is to increase to 35 percent by 2026, 51 percent by 2028, 76 percent by 2031 and 100 percent by 2035. After that, the sale of passenger cars and light trucks using fossil fuels is outright banned. PHEVs remain allowed. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), full battery electric cars and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are considered Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV). The former must have an all-electric range of at least 50 miles (approx. 80 kilometers) under real driving conditions. In addition, car manufacturers are not allowed to fulfill more than 20 percent of their total ZEV production with PHEVs. Battery electric and fuel cell vehicles require a minimum range of 150 miles (around 240 km) to qualify under the program. They must be able to charge quickly and be equipped with a charging cable. The law does not yet apply to heavy commercial vehicles. In addition, owners of cars with internal combustion engines can continue to operate their vehicles, and trading in used cars is also permitted. For the time being. However, if you really want to buy a new combustion engine after 2035, you have no choice but to look around in another federal state. But that will be difficult. Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Oregon have already announced their intention to follow California’s example. The state of Washington in the far north-west of the USA has similar plans. CARB assumes that the ban on combustion engines will cut CO2 pollution in the air by half by 2040 and that the impact of traffic on air quality will be reduced to zero by 2050. That should – at least that’s what the government commission believes – bring relief to California’s public health system by $13 billion. (Hans-Robert Richarz/cen)
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