EFE
New York New York announced Thursday that from 2035 it will only allow the sale of zero-emission vehicles, following in the footsteps of California, which last month 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.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul explained at a news conference that she has ordered the state’s environmental services to fast-track the new regulation after California signed a similar measure last week.
For decades, federal regulations have mandated that any move at the state level to tighten emissions rules must first occur in California and only then can other states proceed.
“New York is a national climate leader and economic powerhouse 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 that establish that by 2026 35% of cars sold will have to be zero emissions and that percentage will have to rise to 68% by 2030.
And from 2026 new pollution standards will also be imposed for new vehicles with combustion engines.
In addition to combating climate change, New York seeks to reduce pollution caused by transport with these measures, which, according to Hochul, tends to especially affect the most disadvantaged groups, often forced to live in high-traffic areas.
The state explained that it will spend more than $1 billion over the next five years to promote zero-emission vehicles with grants and programs to increase the number of hydrogen and electric battery charging stations.
Posted on September 29, 2022
