California is expected to ban all sales of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 in a push to transition away from fossil fuel-based cars to electric vehicles.
California, which has the largest car market in the United States, is expect to put the new regulation in place on Thursday after a vote by the Democratic-controlled California Air Resources Board, the New York Times reported.
The rule will also set interim targets to gradually phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles. Starting in 2026, 35 percent of new cars sold will have to be zero-emission vehicles. That figure will increase to 68 percent in 2030. As of August, only 12 percent of new cars sold in California were EVs.
The state’s move will be the first ban on internal combustion engines in the US.
As the largest auto market in the nation, the new rule will have a major impact on the American car industry.
The measure is part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s pledge to achieve a zero emissions economy by 2045.