New York governor Kathy Hochul announced this past Thursday that all vehicles sold in the state will need to be zero-emissions by 2035. Reports state that New York will be the second state to take initiative behind California, and will take a gradual approach towards meeting the city’s goal. The current plan is: 35 percent of new passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs to be zero-emission by 2026, and 68 percent by 2030. All new schooling transportation will need to meet this expectation by 2027, before the entire fleet follows suit in 2035.
The announcement comes one month after California announced their plan to ban all new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. “We had to wait for California to take a step because there’s some federal requirements that California had to go first—that’s the only time we’re letting them go first,” Gov. Hochul said in a press conference.
New York also announced a $10 million investment in the Drive Clean Rebate Program in the state, which offers residents a rebate of up to $2,000, along with a $7,500 federal tax deduct if they buy an electric car.