Washington state plans to ban the sale of most non-electric vehicles by 2030, according to a bill recently signed by Governor Jay Inslee.
According to the bill, “a target is established for the state that all publicly owned and privately owned passenger and light duty vehicles of model year 2030 or later that are sold, purchased, or registered in Washington state be electric vehicles.”
In addition, the section allows for an interagency electric vehicle coordinating council created to make a plan for achieving the target. The plan brings the state in line with a number of European countries and the Canadian province of Quebec. The states of California and New York have also announced bans on ICE vehicles that aim to end their sale by no later than 2035.
Read Also: New York State To Ban Sales Of New ICE-Powered Cars And Light-Duty Trucks By 2035
“Transportation is our state’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. There is no way to talk about climate change without talking about transportation,” Inslee said, per NBC News. “This package will move us away from the transportation system our grandparents imagined and towards the transportation system our grandchildren dream of.”
The bill is part of a larger $16.9 billion transportation package called “Move Ahead Washington.” In addition to regulating powertrains, it also adds funding to install tens of thousands of new EV charging stations across the state, 25 transit electrification projects, four new hybrid-electric ferries, and free public transportation for passengers 18 and younger.
It also modernizes the state’s ability to support clean energy projects and adds tax incentives for cleantech manufacturing, energy storage projects, and clean energy sources, according to a Medium post from the governor.
