NBC 7’s Dave Summers spoke to gas vehicle drivers about the state’s plan for the future.
It seems the electric vehicle race now has a finish line.
On Thursday, California is expected to approve a ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. The measure would also force automakers to quickly step up production of zero-emission vehicles.
Experts say cars, trucks and other vehicles on the road produce 40% of the state’s pollution.
"I think it is great to push people to move that way," driver Katie Stephens said. "Hopefully other states will follow.“
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The plan is getting high marks from drivers who don’t even own an electric vehicle yet.
"We’re looking into partial EV vehicles or partial EV and looking at options after that," driver Mike Guckian said.
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The state's plan would require 35% of new passenger vehicle sold to be powered by batteries or hydrogen by 2026. By 2030, 68% of total sales must be zero-emissions vehicles and 100% of sales will be required to be net-zero emissions five years after that.
Scott Painter is the founder and CEO of Autonomy, a company that sells electric car subscriptions -- effectively offering a monthly use of an EV. Painter says with or without this regulation, the transformation to zero emissions is already on its way.
"California has 10 more times the EV registration per capita than any other state, and now there's a DC fast charger within 10 miles of every Californian," he said.
Painter calls the Advanced Clean Cars regulation profound, but expects a fight every step of the way. There are infrastructure considerations -- it will change the way cars are built and sold here in the state. If drivers aren’t buying gas, how will we build roads and bridges?
Governor Gavin Newsom says it would reduce emissions by 35% and expects by then, electric vehicles will be cheaper than gas-powered ones.
The average car payment in the U.S. is $650 no matter what you drive, according to Painter.
"It is going to become about the monthly payment. What is the cost of accessing mobility?" he said.
Stephens drives a gas-powered Subaru. It’s efficient and economical, but she is willing to pay more for an EV.
'It’s fair to the consumer," she said. "We all live on this earth and there’s a lot of evidence we can’t keep driving the way we’ve been driving."
Guckian is on his way to Baja for a surf trip. He’s concerned about long drives.
"I am a little bit concerned now with the battery life and some of these longer trips and what that looks like. Just the inconvenience of having to stop and charge," he said.
The proposal may not have all the answers, but at least one driver is prepared to march bravely into that future.
"Life must go on. We used to use horse carriages not too long ago," Edison Doliveirae.
The new legislation wouldn't ban people from owning gas-powered cars or from selling them on the used market.
