Bill Requiring Zero-Emissions Car Sales by 2035 Passes New York Legislature

If signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo, a bill passed by the New York state legislature would "require all sales of new passenger cars and trucks in the state be zero emission by 2035," reports Robert Walton in Smart Cities Dive. The legislation includes the same requirement for medium and heavy-duty trucks by 2045.

Electrification advocates praise the bill as a "really great first step," but "eliminating emissions from the transportation sector will ultimately require development of a broader EV marketplace including charging infrastructure," says Kathy Harris, clean vehicles and fuels advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

New York "is also targeting carbon-free electricity by 2040 and an 85% reduction in economy-wide emissions by 2050," writes Walton. The bill includes directives to "accelerate the development of affordable fueling and charging options for zero emission vehicles, with a focus on ensuring access in low-income and economically disadvantaged communities."

The legislation comes as other states and the federal government ramp up their own investment in electric vehicle infrastructure. Last November, California became the first state to ban the sale of cars powered by internal combustion engines by 2035 through an executive order issued by Governor Gavin Newsom. At the federal level, "[t]he Biden administration has committed to building 500,000 public chargers and wants to spend $174 billion to grow the adoption of electric vehicles."