California Might Ban Gas-Guzzling Cars To Meet Carbon Reduction Goals

While the Trump administration is doing everything it can to increase US carbon emissions, California plans to do the exact opposite. Reports have been circulating since Tuesday that the state’s regulators are considering banning vehicles with combustion engines in an effort to meet reduction goals of carbon emissions. If so, it would be the first American state to do so.

In an unsurprising development, California Governor Jerry Brown has apparently told city officials that he is considering a state-wide ban on cars with internal combustion engines. This was according to the chairman of the California Air Resources Board, Mary Nichols who recently spoke to Bloomberg. If a ban is decided, however, implementation would take at least a decade.

Other countries and cities have actually already made similar decisions, including China, France, and the UK. Gov. Brown would simply be following the examples of these nations, which is being welcomed by climate scientists and progressive organizations.

On the other hand, banning carbon emitting cars in the most populous US state would be a huge political risk for everyone involved. It’s no secret that Americans love their muscle cars and Conservatives are particularly prickly about having their monster trucks, pickup trucks, and SUVs getting taken away.

Now, it’s worth pointing out that existing vehicles with combustion engines will not be kicked out of the state or its owners jailed for keeping them. Rather, it will be the sale of such vehicles that will be banned if such a legislation is put into effect, The Verge reports.

If a ban on traditional vehicles is enacted, it would simply mean that dealers will no longer be able to sell cars with combustion engines in the state. Major car companies have already seen this type of development coming from a mile away and have been investing heavily in making their vehicles partly or fully electric. BMW, Volvo, and even Volkswagen are all planning on selling EVs in the coming decades.