New York will only allow the sale of zero-emission vehicles from 2035, following in the footsteps of California, which last week decided to ban the sale of combustion engines from that same year.
The measure is considered by the New York authorities as a “crucial step” to achieve a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions produced by transport and will be accompanied by new incentives and investments to generalize the use of electric cars.
The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, explained this Thursday, in a press conference, that she ordered the state environmental services to accelerate the new regulation, after California signed a similar measure last week.
For decades, federal regulations have required that any state-level move to tighten emissions standards must first be made in California, and only then can other states take similar action.
“New York is a national leader in climate and economic power, and we are using our strength to help drive innovation and deployment of zero-emission vehicles at scale,” Hochul said in a statement.
To reach the final goal in 2035, New York will first impose intermediate goals, which establish that by 2026 35% of the cars sold will be zero emissions, and this percentage must reach 68% by 2030.
Also from 2026, new pollution standards will be imposed for new vehicles with a combustion engine.
In addition to fighting climate change, New York seeks to reduce transportation pollution with these measures.
For Kathy Hochul, pollution tends to mainly affect the most disadvantaged groups, often forced to live in areas with heavy traffic.
The state explained that it will spend more than $1 billion over the next five years to promote zero-emission vehicles, with subsidies and programs to increase the number of hydrogen and electric battery charging stations.
Source: TSF
