In September last year, California took a commendable step towards a cleaner transport sector by banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. Just a few months later, Massachusetts followed in the footsteps of the Golden State and did the same. Now, the state of Washington is about to take it one step further.
Last week, lawmakers in the Evergreen State passed a measure that would phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles as early as 2030. Called Clean Cars 2030, the initiative passed as an amendment to a bill that requires state utilities to prepare for a transportation future shaped by electric vehicles. The bill now awaits Governor Jay Inslee’s signature.
The bill, which passed Washington’s Senate by a vote of 25-23 and a vote of 54-43 in the House, would ban the sale, purchase, or registration of non-EVs from model 2030 and later. If signed into law, the bill would mark the strongest and earliest state measure in favor of electric vehicles and would represent a key step forward towards a post-carbon future.
