On the heels of California’s plan to phase out sales of new gas vehicles starting with the 2026 model year leading to a total ban by 2035, Washington, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Delaware and Maryland are planning to do the same.
’ The rules do not stop residents in these states from owning or using gas-powered cars, nor do they force consumers to buy electric vehicles (EVs). Dealerships can still sell used cars powered by gas, and consumers in these states can purchase the gas-powered vehicles in other states – as long as they meet certain emissions standards.’
I’ll believe it when I see it. As we have seen, car dealer groups are pretty powerful lobbyists, and losing whatever-percentage of their sales when the time comes will be a tough putt.
Frankly, I expect that EV sales will never be 100%, there are just too many cases where they don’t make sense. And relegating those buyers to “buy out of state” or “buy only a used car” is daft.
I think enthusiasts are too far out over their skis on this one.
Hi Goofy - agree that consumers will still have a choice in what kind of car they buy despite all these heroic anti-ICE antics.
55% of new car dealers in the US, however, were already selling selling EVs as of last December, thanks to non-Tesla EVs capturing ~50% of the market. So they already have a significant stake in boosting EV sales via such state initiatives.
Show me a business owner who says “Sure, I want a law that prohibits me from selling 10% or 25% of what I’m selling now, and further puts my service department out of business” and maybe I’ll agree.
This is nice virtue signaling but is unlikely to last until implementation.