These Nine States Will Phase Out Gasoline Vehicle Sales by 2035
In a major shift away from traditional internal combustion engines, a growing number of states are passing rules that will effectively ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars and light trucks by 2035 . States are following California’s lead by passing the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) regulation, which sets annually increasing quotas for automakers to sell more zero-emission vehicles, such as electric vehicles .
Currently, eight states have officially adopted ACCII regulations for passenger vehicles: Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Three more states are Connecticut, Maine and New Mexico. — are also considering adopting ACCII standards.
ACCII mandates that by 2026, 35% of new vehicle sales in these states must be all-electric or other zero-emission vehicles. This percentage then increases year by year until it reaches 100% by 2035, at which point sales of new gas-only cars and trucks will be prohibited.
Several other states, such as Colorado, Delaware and Minnesota, have so far decided to adopt only part of the ACCII rules. But more people may join the phase-out of gas-powered vehicles as the pace of vehicle electrification accelerates.
What does this mean for gasoline car owners?
The new rules do not affect existing vehicles, so owners of gasoline-powered cars and trucks can continue to drive them and even resell them on the used car market in these states. The bans only limit what new vehicle models automakers and dealers can sell.
However, owning an older gasoline car could become more inconvenient and costly in the future if government charging infrastructure prioritizes electric vehicles and gasoline prices rise due to reduced demand.
However, with the typical lifespan of vehicles currently being 12-15 years, the majority of petrol-powered vehicles on the road today will be ready for replacement by the time the bans come into full force in 2035.
Other states may follow suit
While roughly a quarter of states have already signed the ACCII agreement to phase out gasoline vehicles, it remains to be seen how quickly others will adopt similar policies aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles. Politics, infrastructure readiness and economic factors could influence how quickly other states move to limit gasoline vehicle use.
But with the federal government also incentivizing electric vehicle production and setting state-level emissions reduction targets, it looks like it’s more a matter of when, rather than if, the rest of the country gets on the path to ending sales of new gas lanterns. vehicles in the coming decades. For more information, check out our EV cost guide .