January 2020 Gasoline Phaseout News
Washington State Advances Requirement for All New Vehicles to be Electric by 2030
___________
Washington Rep. Nicole Macri has introduced HB 2515, the Clean Cars 2030 bill, with nine co-sponsors. The bill, drafted with assistance from Coltura, would require all model-year 2030 or later passenger and light-duty vehicles sold in Washington state to be electric. People could keep, sell, and purchase model-year 2029 and prior gasoline vehicles without restriction. Emergency response vehicles and vehicles over 10,000 pounds, such as farm equipment, would be exempt.
This bill would accelerate the transition from polluting cars to cars powered by the state’s abundant clean, renewable electricity. It would save Washington consumers billions annually on fuel and car maintenance, drive down electric rates for everyone, and eventually eliminate the biggest single source of carbon pollution—burning gasoline.
Eight countries have announced plans to end the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2030 or sooner, and seven more have committed to do so by 2040. With passage of this bill, Washington would be the first state in the US to advance this global trend of requiring vehicle electrification. The bill leads the way for other states to follow suit — and defies the federal government’s current attempt to roll back existing clean car standards.
