Every new gas-powered car that goes on the road commits us to decades of pollution.

That's why we think Massachusetts’ and Rhode Island’s ability to cut greenhouse gas emissions as required by their respective climate laws hinges on their commitment to end the saleof new gas-powered cars by 2035 or sooner. Green Energy Consumers Alliance supports policy in Rhode Island and Massachusetts focused on three main principles:

• we need cleaner cars;
• we need to advance the market for electric buses, trucks, and fleets;
• and we need to reduce the total number of vehicle-miles-travelled through better transit and bike/pedestrian networks.

Rhode Island

One of the most critical steps Rhode Island can take in 2023 is to adopt the Advanced Clean Cars II standards from California. These standards would require automakers to make an increasing percentage of the vehicles they sell electric from model year 2026 to 2035, reaching 100% electric in 2035. By adopting these standards, Rhode Island will join a national and international movement to phase out the sale of new gas-powered cars and ensure that Rhode Islanders have access to all the new electric models being produced by manufacturers. Senator Alana DiMario and Representative Terri Cortvriend will introduce legislation in 2023 directing the Department of Environmental Management to adopt these standards ASAP. 

Massachusetts

In 2022, Massachusetts passed a huge new climate law, An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind, that moves forward lots of clean transportation priorities, notably committing the state to phase out the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 and directing state agencies to adopt the Advanced Clean Cars II standards coming out of California. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is in the process of adopting these standards. In January 2023, DEP held hearings on ACCII where we testified in support.

Our job in 2023 will be to make sure Massachusetts has in place policies that will (a) support EV adoption at the levels called for by ACCII and make EVs accessible to everyone who needs a car and (b) reduce vehicle-miles-traveled by supporting transit and active mobility. Click on a blog post at the bottom of the page to see the latest we’re working on!

To meet our climate goals we must phase out gas cars by 2035. A phaseout of the sale of new gasoline-powered cars starting in 2035 doesn’t mean we will get rid of gas-powered cars overnight. A 2035 phaseout would be the beginning of a multi-decade transition that will give states time to create an equitable plan for drivers of all incomes and workers in the auto industry, as well as a plan to increase charging access, lower upfront costs of clean cars, and decrease dependence on personal vehicles overall.

Other countries, including France, the UK, and Germany, as well as the states of California, New York, and Washington have plans to end the sale of gas-powered cars.

Automakers are manufacturing dozens of electric car models and several are investing more in building electric cars than gas cars, including General Motors, Volvo, and Volkswagen. 2/3 of Americans are already considering an electric car for their next vehicle.

Electric cars are expected to cost the same to buy as comparable gas-powered cars by 2027.

Lower cost of ownership and better driving experience means that without policy intervention, half of new car sales will be electric by 2035 anyway due to consumer preference.

Our plan simply accelerates the trajectory we’re already on to ensure climate and health benefits sooner. Polling shows that 62% of Massachusetts voters  and 55% of voters nationally support the idea of a phaseout starting in 2030. The national polling compared responses by race and showed that a gasoline phaseout is most popular among people of color, who are also most concerned about climate change and air pollution.  

A phaseout of new gasoline car sales in 2035 represents the beginning of a 20-year transition period where gas vehicles slowly age out and are replaced with cleaner cars. This means establishing policy to prepare for 100% EV sales in 2035 will lead to a more doable and steady transition to electric vehicles than you might think.