CONGRATULATIONS!! SB 5811 was signed into law on March 25, 2020. This bill enables Washington to join the ZEV Program, which requires automakers to ensure that a certain percent of the vehicles they sell in the state are zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) — primarily electric vehicles.

Enormous thanks go out to the coalition of organizations and all the individual supporters who helped pass this bill.

Vehicle emissions are the biggest source of carbon emissions and air pollution. Joining the ZEV Program would achieve major advances in public health and carbon reduction with virtually no cost to taxpayers.  

The ZEV Program causes automakers to stock, advertise, incentivize, and sell electric vehicles (EVs) in order to meet the minimum EV sales threshold in Washington. Many of the newest and best EVs (such as the Hyundai Kona SUV) are not available in Washington, because automakers choose to prioritize sales of those EVs in the 11 states that have the ZEV Program in place. The ZEV Program benefits drivers by giving them greater choice of EVs at better prices. Essentially, it passes the costs of supporting vehicle electrification from the taxpayers to the automakers, where they belong. 

The ZEV Program utilizes a credit system which requires major automakers to ensure that, starting in 2022 when the bill would take effect, about 6% of their new cars sold in a state are zero emissions vehicles.  Automakers that don’t meet the standards must purchase extra credits from other automakers that have exceeded the standard, or pay a penalty.

READY TO DO MORE?

Ask your Washington legislators to support HB 2515, the Clean Cars 2030 bill requiring all new cars sold in Washington state to be electric starting with model year 2030. Click here to take action for clean cars in Washington!