Governor Newsom’s Zero-Emission by 2035 Executive Order (N-79-20)

Executive Order calls for elimination of new internal combustion passenger vehicles by 2035
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Air Pollution, Zero-Emission Transportation
Programs
Advanced Clean Cars Program, Clean Miles Standard, Clean Cars 4 All, Advanced Clean Fleets, Advanced Clean Trucks
The transportation sector, including all passenger cars and light trucks, heavy-duty trucks, off-road vehicles, and the fuels needed to power them, is responsible for more than half of California’s greenhouse gas emissions. It is also responsible for the majority of smog-causing pollutants and is a significant source of toxic air contaminants that directly impact community health. These emissions pose a direct threat to the environment, the economy and public health.

By setting a course to end sales of internal combustion passenger vehicles by 2035, the Governor’s Executive Order establishes a target for the transportation sector that helps put the state on a path to carbon neutrality by 2045. It is important to note that the Executive Order focuses on new vehicle sales for automakers, and therefore does not require Californians to give up the existing cars and trucks they already own. 

Furthermore, by setting the target in 2035, the Executive Order provides time for automakers to scale up and market new zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), as well as further impetus for the providers of charging and refueling infrastructure, electric utilities, and others to plan for and support the increasing consumer demand for these vehicles. Clear policies such as the Governor’s Executive Order help provide market signals to investors and can mobilize private capital.

Next Steps

The primary mechanism for achieving the ZEV target for passenger cars and light trucks is the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) Program.  The Board approved the proposed ACC II regulations in August 2022.  The Final Statement of Reasons will be released and the proposed regulation will go to the Office of Administrative Law to become final.   For more details about the ACCII proposal, visit the ACCII Frequently Asked Questions.

As part of the Executive Order, the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) was tasked with preparing a Zero-Emission Vehicle Market Development Strategy along with the accompanying California State agency ZEV Action Plans.

CARB completed the 2020 Mobile Source Strategy, a comprehensive analysis that presents scenarios for possible strategies to reduce the carbon, toxic and unhealthy pollution from cars, trucks, equipment and ships. The strategies provide important information for numerous regulations and incentive programs going forward by conveying what is necessary to address the aggressive emission reduction requirements California faces to improve public health.

In addition to ACC II, the Clean Miles Standard regulation will also help enable the goal of 100 percent ZEV sales in 2035 by creating demand for ZEVs. This regulation will have aggressive requirements for electric miles that will transition ride-hailing fleets to zero-emission operations starting in 2023 and ramping up through 2030. This regulation was approved by the Board in 2021.