Written by Nicholas Vetrisek
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed an executive order banning new gasoline powered cars starting in 2035.
The executive order is bad for the state for many reasons, but Californians likely need not worry because the order will likely be struck down by federal authorities. The order hinges on approval by the federal government, and with President Trump most likely being re-elected, he will certainly put a stop to the order.
Even assuming that the order goes through as planned and a hypothetical President Biden doesn’t get involved, banning gas-powered cars will be a disaster for California. There is one simple reason: the infrastructure just isn’t there.
Even in San Diego, one of the most high tech counties in the state, you would be hard pressed to find electric charging stations anywhere, except maybe Downtown. If there are hardly any here, how are places like Humboldt County and the San Joaquin Valley going to replace their entire fleet of automobiles with electric ones, and in 15 years no less. Maybe this sort of plan resonates with downtown urbanites, but for the suburban and rural areas of California, this plan is completely laughable.
Cars that only go half as far as their gas powered counterparts on one charge and need their own dedicated charging stations are simply not feasible anywhere that isn’t a big city. Even there, electric cars are more of a luxury than a primary mode of transportation. Newsom’s plan is pie in the sky and 15 years is a completely unrealistic time frame. Thankfully, the executive order will likely be struck down in the near future.
