Last week, California state air regulators put forth a bold proposal to move the state away from gasoline powered cars to a greener future- one led by electric vehicles.
If enacted, the rules would gradually increase sales of new zero-emission vehicles starting in 2026 and completely eliminate sales of new gasoline-powered cars in the state by 2035.
"We hear politicians and others making pronouncements, but this is a case where we are actually putting into law, codifying it. And these are going to be hard requirements for the sales of these vehicles. And the numbers are really aggressive," Daniel Sperling, California Air Resources Board member and founding Director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis, said.
Sperling joined Midday Edition's Earth Day special to talk about the proposal and its potential impact for the state.
"It will have a huge impact on greenhouse gasses and climate change. Transportation is by far the biggest source of greenhouse gasses in California and the U.S.," he said.
The California Air Resources Board is now taking public comments on the proposal through May, before a public hearing on June 9.
