Gas-powered vehicles will soon be a thing of the past in New York.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently declared that the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars would be banned in 2035.
New York is the second US state to enact a ban on ICE vehicles following California's announcement to do the same on Aug. 25, per CNBC.
New York 2035 ICE Vehicle Ban Details
New York Gov. Hochul mentioned in her announcement that banning ICE vehicle sales within the state by 2035 is a "crucial regulatory step" to achieve a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the state's transportation sector.
According to the Governor's ban, all new passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs sold in New York must produce no greenhouse emissions by 2035.
"New York is a national climate leader and an economic powerhouse, and we're using our strength to help spur innovation and implementation of zero-emission vehicles on a grand scale," Gov. Hochul said. "We're driving New York's transition to clean transportation forward, and today's announcement will benefit our climate and the health of our communities for generations to come."
If the ban goes through, Gov. Hochul's ban on new ICE vehicle sales can bring New York's greenhouse emissions reductions back to their previous level in 1990 by 2050, per Gizmodo.
A separate CNBC report also mentioned that the ban would help facilitate the drop in greenhouse emissions by as much as 85%.
Gov. Hochul's ICE vehicle ban is not without a good reason - a 2021 report from New York's Department of Environmental Conservation stated that the state produces around 106.92 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and other gases in a single year.
Although there are many contributing factors to the finding, transportation within New York is responsible for more than a quarter of the state's greenhouse gas emissions, with the sector producing 28% of the state's greenhouse gases.
How The Ban Will Work
Gov. Hochul stated that the ban would go into effect in phases. She mentioned that all new light-duty vehicles sold in the state are required to be electric vehicles (EVs) by 2026. Afterward, the percentage will be increased to 68% by 2030 until 203. By that time, all new vehicles sold within the state must be EVs.
The ban will also be accompanied by new state-created pollution standards for ICE vehicles manufactured from 2026 to 2034.
To ease the burden of making the transition from ICE vehicles to EVs, the state of New York will increase financial support for individuals and municipalities purchasing EVs.
To that effect, the state will add $10 million to its Drive Clean rebate program to incentivize more people to make the switch. As such, people and municipalities willing to undergo the transition from ICE vehicles to EVs can look forward to as much as $9,500 in rebates when purchasing an EV - $2,000 will come from New York's Drive Clean rebate program, and up to $7,500 will come from the federal tax rebate.
