Could California Join China in Banning Gas Guzzlers?

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Reposted with permission fromย EcoWatch.

Byย Lorraine Chow,ย EcoWatch

After China announcedย plansย to ban new diesel and gasoline-powered cars, California Gov.ย Jerry Brownย is said to be considering the same option, according toย Bloomberg.

โ€œI’ve gotten messages from the governor asking, ‘Why haven’t we done something already?’โ€ Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, told the publication. โ€œThe governor has certainly indicated an interest in why China can do this and notย California.โ€

Besides China, Britain, France, Norway and India have announced similar intentions to phase out conventional gas guzzlers to cutย fossil fuelย emissions and promoteย electric vehicles.

Under Brown’s watch, the Golden State has become anย environmental powerhouseย and it’s no surprise that he would be consider such an idea.ย In June, Brown signed a nonbinding agreement with China to cooperate onย renewable energyย technology, including zero-emissions vehicles and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Brown and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed โ€œthe importance of expanding cooperation of green technology, innovation and trade,โ€ according to the governor’sย office.

The governor has also been outspoken against President Trump’s inaction onย climate changeย and his controversial decision to pull the U.S. out of theย Paris agreement.

It’s unclear if the ban is serious. However, as Gina Coplon-Newfield, who heads theย Sierra Club‘s clean transportation unit, told theย New York Times, โ€œIt’s an important conversation to have and we’re glad it’s starting to get someย traction.โ€

As the Times noted, while California happens to be the nation’s top EV-adopter, sales in the state counts for less than 5 percent of theย total.

Still, EV registration in the U.S. has grown significantly in recent years, from 17,425 registrations in 2011 to 209,726 this year already, according to a recentย analysisย from motor financing companyย Moneybarn.

Additionally, zero-emission vehicles are expected to beย cheaperย than conventional cars due toย falling battery pricesย as well as the costs that traditional carmakers will incur as they comply with new fuel-efficiencyย standards.

โ€œFalling battery costs will mean electric vehicles will also be cheaper to buy in the U.S. and Europe as soon as 2025,โ€ aย Bloomberg New Energy Financeย said. โ€œBatteries currently account for about half the cost of EVs, and their prices will fall by about 77 percent between 2016 andย 2030.โ€

Main image: Cars in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Chris Goldberg,ย CC BYNCย 2.0

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