California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate is set to fail, as sales of EVs even in his deep-blue state lag far behind the level necessary to reach 100% of the passenger vehicle market by 2035, as he decreed in 2020. [emphasis, links added]
As Breitbart News reported, California experienced an electricity crisis in early September 2020 when there was an acute shortage of power during a heat wave.
Newsom told the state that it needed to “sober up” about green energy.
Nevertheless, just a few weeks later, in late September 2020, Newsom announced that he wanted to ban the sale of gasoline-powered passenger vehicles by 2035. In 2022, the state finalized the regulations for the gas vehicle ban.
But market reality has intervened, as consumer demand has lagged far behind Newsom’s goals. Drivers balk at the cost of EVs — even with state and federal tax [subsidies] — and fear being stuck on the road in an electricity shortage.
Indeed, in late summer 2022, the state advised owners of EVs not to charge their cars in the afternoon and early evening due to electricity shortages.
The message was: you cannot charge the car that we are going to force you to drive.
As a result of lagging demand, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday, that Newsom’s EV mandate is falling short:
The headwinds are fueling fresh doubts about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate that all new cars sold in California by 2035 be zero-emission vehicles. The first big test for the governor’s edict comes next year, when 35% of new vehicles sold must be zero-emission, up from 26.4% now. To hit that mark, EV sales would have to skyrocket 33%.
“I have not seen a forecast by anyone that that number is achievable,” Toyota North America Chief Operating Officer Jack Hollis said on a conference call with reporters last month. “Demand is not there.”
…
After years of strong gains, EV sales growth is flattening out. For the first three quarters of 2024, ZEV [zero-emission vehicles] sales in California totaled 338,853 vehicles. That represents growth of less than 1% over the same period last year.
Newsom said last month that California would bring back its tax rebate for EVs if President-elect Trump ends federal EV rebates and mandates.
However, the state is already struggling with massive budget deficits, and the legislature would have to cut funding to other programs to pay for EVs.
Newsom also hinted that he would exclude Tesla from the program, perhaps because CEO Elon Musk is working with Trump. However, Teslas are the most popular EVs.
Read rest at Breitbart
