Last August, California has decided to say goodbye to cars with internal combustion engines in 2035. Last summer, the US state passed legislation that places increasingly restrictive restrictions on the sale and circulation of thermal cars before their final ban within 12 years, as in the European Union.

Today, the state of California wants to go even further and calls on the Biden administration to finally approve the plan to decarbonize the fleet. Implementation of this strategy in California requires approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Will arm wrestling come to Washington?

The request addressed to the EPA by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) mainly concerns the possibility of implementing different phases that will lead to the final end of sales of thermal models in 2035. “Motorized vehicles are the largest source of emissions in California”said Stephen Cliff, CEO of CARB, “Therefore, it is important that electric vehicles completely replace thermal vehicles”.

CA continues to lead:

“Experts say California’s new rule, both in its stringency and scope, could stand alongside Washington’s law as one of the world’s most important climate change policies.” https://t.co/l19OOcsLgF

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 24, 2022

Last summer, California Governor Gavin Newsom described the bill as “act on the termination of the heat engine”. But without a green light from Washington, it will be impossible to implement this strategy.

Until today, Joe Biden has repeatedly refused to set a date for the end of the sale of thermal cars. It remains to be seen whether he will change his position in the months before the new presidential election. knowing that Americans are particularly attached to their automobile industry.

Go step by step

The California law also includes a number of intermediate steps. This requires, for example, that at least 35% of cars sold are zero-emission by 2026 and that this percentage will reach 68% by the end of the decade.

• 2026: sales of electric cars: 35% of the total
• 2030: sales of electric cars: 68% of the total volume
• 2035: 100% sales of electric cars

California, which has always been more sensitive to environmental issues than other states in the country, wants to be the standard bearer of this new approach. But John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an association that brings together representatives of almost all American automakers, insists on the need to approach the problem from a broader perspective.

“The requirements established by California state law are inherently realistic and achievable”he said in an interview “but there are many factors to consider. In addition to inflation, we also have to take into account the availability of cars in the market, changes in prices for future models and the distribution of charging stations. »