Newsom Proposes Another $6.1 Billion for Mandatory Transition to Zero Emission Vehicles

California Governor Gavin Newsom was in Palo Alto last month to speak about his administration’s bold vision for steering the state away from internal combustion vehicles. The January 26th press conference outside Ford’s Greenfield Labs showcased Newsom’s ambitious plan to devote an additional $6.1 billion to support the mandatory transition to zero emission vehicles.

The new funding represents a significant portion of Newsom’s “California Blueprint”, a comprehensive $37.6 billion plan to address the scourge of climate change. If passed by the State Legislature, it will increase California’s total investment in the decarbonization of the transportation sector to a staggering $10 billion.

The aggressive spending dovetails with Newsom’s courageous pledge to phase out the sale of internal combustion vehicles in California no later than 2035. Announced in September of 2020, Newsom’s Executive Order N-79-20 acknowledged that the state government would have to work cooperatively with the private sector to achieve the noble goal by the required target date.

Many other progressive nations have made similar pledges, with most target dates ranging from 2030 to 2040. California has historically been a strong environmental leader, and many other states now support the 2035 target date. Under President Joe Biden, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has greatly increased the stringency of its fuel economy regulations, but there has been little talk of phasing out the sale of internal combustion vehicles by a specified date. Biden’s promise to make 50% of new U.S. vehicles “zero emission” by 2030 actually includes gas-burning plug-in hybrids and is arguably one of the weakest national commitments of its kind.

California’s Air Resources Board is charged with developing the specific state regulations that will ultimately enforce N-79-20, and the agency’s rulemaking process is now well underway. The current Advanced Clean Cars Program includes modest zero emission vehicle mandates and will remain in effect through the 2025 model year. The more ambitious proposal governing 2026 and beyond is called the Advanced Clean Cars II Program and will likely be presented to the Board in June, then be finalized by an affirmative vote in August.

Newsom’s extraordinary funding proposal thwarts criticism from detractors that his lofty 2035 goal is just a political stunt designed to appease green voters. Some argue that he has no concrete plans for accomplishing the difficult transition, and that the 2035 date is unrealistic. The carefully targeted funds outlined in the California Blueprint are ample evidence that Newsom has a detailed long-term strategy. As he spoke at the press conference, it was clear that the governor understands how important clean transportation is to achieving global climate goals and the specific challenges that California will face if it hopes to eventually eliminate its own tailpipe carbon dioxide.

Palo Alto was a very appropriate location for Newsom’s optimistic press conference. Roughly one out of three passenger cars sold in Palo Alto are electric vehicles, the highest percentage of any U.S. city.