"Here Are the Challenges Ahead for California’s Ban on Gas Cars"

"Enforcement could be complex and legal challenges are likely. But ultimately, experts say, success or failure will depend on steady supply and buyers’ appetite."

"California has laid out an audacious goal: In 13 years, it should no longer be possible to buy a new car that runs purely on gasoline anywhere in the state.

Yet it remains to be seen whether California can turn that vision into a reality. The state’s plan to ban sales of new internal-combustion engine vehicles by 2035, approved by regulators on Thursday, sets strict limits on what automakers can and can’t sell. Failure to meet those targets carries the threat of stiff penalties.

But whether the rule works in practice will depend on whether consumers embrace electric cars and how rapidly automakers can ramp up production of cleaner vehicles, which could prove challenging. There is also the widespread expectation of legal challenges that could hinder the policy, and some experts said those challenges might have a decent chance of success because of the unusual process by which California is allowed to set some of its own pollution laws."

Lisa Friedman and Brad Plumer report for the New York Times August 26, 2022.

 

Source: NYTimes, 08/31/2022