Showing himself to be a sufficiently eco-hippie successor to Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown, California Governor (and microphone fellatio aficionado) Gavin Newsom has followed through with what has long been threatened: Declaring that new gasoline-powered vehicles will be verboten to the people of California. Executive Order N-79-20 states:
“It shall be a goal of the State that 100 percent of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks will be zero-emission by 2035. It shall be a further goal of the State that 100 percent of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in the State be zero-emission by 2045 for all operations where feasible and by 2035 for drayage trucks. It shall be further a goal of the State to transition to 100 percent zero-emission off-road vehicles and equipment by 2035 where feasible.”
While there is some objection, or at least concern of the short period before the mandate starts in full, there is likely to not be much push-back.
And, if by magic, of course he claims that the poor who can’t afford electric vehicles will:
“Over time, Newsom’s team said this would mean hybrids would be phased out to be replaced by an EV, or electric vehicle, which ‘would be affordable to everybody.’
“‘There will be price parity’ in the years to come, Newsom hypothesized.”
Potentially taking away people’s ability to go where they want when they want based on a “hypothetical”? While this Executive Order does not prohibit used car sales or people buying cars in other states (there’s gonna be a lot of car dealerships across the border in Nevada and Arizona, or even in Mexico), that’s not off the table for future action if the tone of the Executive Order is to be trusted.
The insanity was put best on Twitter:
California: Please turn off your air conditioner on a 120 degree day. We don’t have enough electricity.
Also California: We’re going to make everyone buy electric cars when we don’t even have enough power for what we already use.
— Neil Stevens (@presjpolk) September 24, 2020
The text of the Executive Order can be read below:
