Michael Bloomberg demands all new cars are electric by 2035

Democratic presidential hopeful Mike Bloomberg wants all new cars to be electric by 2035, according to a plan released by the former New York City mayor's campaign.

Bloomberg's campaign said he would instate mileage and pollution standards and "put in place an aggressive schedule to put the U.S. on pace to make 100% of new vehicles pollution-free by 2035."

The candidate also pledged to expand tax credits and offer rebates to low-income families that trade in old vehicles and said he aims to place charging stations every 50 miles along highway systems.

Bloomberg's plan also calls for building metro-area public transit and intercity rail and bus systems and incentivizing local governments to prioritize "zero-emission" transit systems such as biking and walking. His campaign did not specifically outline how much the plan would be expected to cost.

A Bloomberg spokesperson told The Hill in an email that the company was still working on a full cost estimate and added that because the candidate's plans are related, a cost can't be fully assessed until they are all rolled out.

"My plan will ensure that electric vehicles and charging infrastructure are affordable and accessible to all Americans," Bloomberg said in a statement. "I’ll roll back President Trump’s efforts to weaken emissions standards, create more clean energy jobs, and drive us toward a healthier, carbon-free future.”

Earlier this week, Bloomberg released a plan for cleaner buildings and households. The billionaire has expressed urgency for tackling environmental issues during his campaign while touting his past philanthropy on the matter.

Other Democratic candidates have included transportation in their climate plans. Bloomberg, who is putting out a suite of climate plans, is the first to issue a specific strategy on transportation, the top U.S. source of greenhouse gases.

Bloomberg’s plan calls for all new U.S. cars to be electric by 2035, reductions of diesel pollution with electric trucks and buses, improved access to public transit, and the building of highspeed rail. He wants to offer low and moderate-income communities a “Clean Cars for All” program with rebates for trading in old cars for electric ones.

“We’re looking to turn over the polluting stock faster,” a campaign aide said on condition of anonymity ahead of the plan’s unveiling. The aide said Bloomberg wants to help taxi and ride-share programs to electrify their fleets before 2035.

His plan does not specify where rare earth minerals would come from for the new vehicles. Bloomberg aims to slash U.S. emissions linked to climate change by 50% by 2030 if he wins the November vote. Cutting emissions from the power sector and buildings are the other major planks of his clean economy plan.

This week Bloomberg, a late entrant into the race, introduced plans to prevent forest fires, directed in part at winning over voters in California, the most populous state, and one of 14 states holding primaries on Super Tuesday, March 3.

While California has struggled to build high-speed rail, another aide said an initial advanced rail project could be less ambitious than the state’s plan, yet still show Americans what many travelers have in other countries.