New York Governor Kathy Hochul last Wednesday signed into law a bill that sets a goal of making all new passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks sold in the state zero emissions by 2035. The state will then seek the same for all new medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2045, if feasible.
“New York is implementing the nation’s most aggressive plan to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions affecting our climate and to reach our ambitious goals, we must reduce emissions from the transportation sector, currently the largest source of the state’s climate pollution,” Hochul said in a statement on Wednesday.
New York City, meanwhile, said that to meet its climate goals, it will need nearly a quarter of its 2 million vehicle owners to switch to EVs by 2030, per Reuters. To help make that goal a reality, the city vowed to install 10,000 curbside charging points by the end of the decade.
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“When adopted, this new regulation will require an increasing percentage of all new trucks sold in New York [state] to be zero-emissions vehicles beginning with the 2025 model year, cementing our state as a national leader on actions to address climate change while spurring economic opportunities and helping to reduce air pollution,” said Basil Seggos, Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner.
New York joins California in setting a goal that is stricter than the federal government’s goal of making 50 percent of all new vehicles sold in America EVs by 2030. President Biden, though, has repeatedly refused to phase out all gas and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035, despite being asked to by Democrats in Congress. New York, therefore, has decided to go its own way.
“This new law and regulation mark a critical milestone in our efforts and will further advance the transition to clean electric vehicles while helping to reduce emissions in communities that have been overburdened by pollution from cars and trucks for decades,” said Hochul.
