CLEAN CARS 2030 GAINS TRACTION IN KEY STATES
California recently adopted the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) program, which cuts climate and air pollution by requiring that an increasing percentage of all new cars sold are electric, culminating in a 100% EV requirement by 2035.
Clean Cars 2030 legislation, passed in Washington State earlier this year, aims to achieve the ACC II goals five years earlier, with 100% new cars being electric by 2030. It complements ACC II by providing an all-of-government planning process to achieve 100% electrification, and provides a backstop to ACC II in the event of political or legal setbacks. Governor Inslee’s office recently told The Seattle Times, “We think of the California regulation as the floor and we’ve set a new ceiling of trying to get that done by 2030.”
Coltura’s polling indicates that a majority of Americans support Clean Cars 2030. Thanks to the advocacy of our partners, the Clean Cars 2030 approach is gaining traction in a number of states.
- The launch of the Michigan Clean Cars 2030 campaign was announced today by the Ecology Center and Michigan Electric Vehicle Alliance (MEVA), coinciding with the return of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Michigan has been making strides toward EV adoption, including its goal to deploy the charging infrastructure necessary to support two million EVs on Michigan’s roads by 2030 under the MI Healthy Climate Plan and the MI Future Mobility Plan. The Michigan Clean Cars 2030 campaign would create a comprehensive plan to equitably develop EV infrastructure, purchase incentives, and more to make 100% of vehicle sales all electric by 2030. For more information and to add your support, please visit the campaign website.
- In Massachusetts, Green Energy Consumers Alliance helped win passage of the Driving Green Energy Bill. While it sets a 2035 target, it includes the comprehensive “all of government” planning requirements we sought. Efforts now turn to convincing the next Governor to seize on the state’s aggressive climate plan to incorporate the 2030 target into the multi-agency planning process. Maura Healey, the leading gubernatorial candidate, has already included a 1 million EVs by 2030 target in her climate plan.
- In Rhode Island, Green Energy Consumers Alliance set out to advance a 2030 clean cars goal by building support for the Electric Transportation Act, modeled on the Washington legislation. The bill is now a top priority for 2023 and we are working to persuade gubernatorial candidates to make strong commitments to a gas car phaseout target.
- In New Jersey, Environment New Jersey is ramping up efforts to organize a coalition in support of the 2030 target. It is meeting with key government agencies and the governor’s office to urge them to conduct a well-resourced, multi-agency effort to advance vehicle electrification at the pace that is needed. A recent meeting with The Star-Ledger led to an editorial endorsing adoption of the California rule concluding, “The internal combustion engine has dominated auto production for more than 130 years, and our lungs and our environment have been through enough. It’s time to move on, and New Jersey must help lead the motorcade.”