In Europe, a 2035 zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate passed last year as that region looks to phase out the sale of new ICE-powered vehicles, though that proposal has since been scaled back somewhat. In the U.S., however, there is no organized effort to do the same, though some states – chiefly, California – have long been pushing for an ICE ban. After the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reinstated California’s right to set its own emissions standards, the state moved quickly to pen such a ban, though plug-in hybrids will still be sold after it takes effect. As Ford Authority reported last May, the state previously asked for the EPA approval required to enact its proposed 2035 ZEV mandate, and now, the agency has announced that it plans to hold a hearing on the matter, according to Reuters.
EPA approval is necessary for this proposal to take effect since it differs from the agency’s own emissions timeline. An EPA proposal revealed in April seeks to slash vehicle emissions by forecasting a 60 percent EV sales mix by 2030 and 67 percent by 2032. Meanwhile, California Air Resources Board (CARB) rules mandate that 35 percent of new vehicles sold in the state must be plug-in hybrid, EVs, or hydrogen fuel cell-powered by 2026, with those numbers increasing to 68 percent in 2030 and 100 percent by 2035.
Now, the EPA has announced that it will hold a hearing concerning this matter next week, with a decision potentially having a wider-reaching impact across the U.S. Since California outlined its ZEV requirements that are slated to start in 2026, a total of 12 other states have followed suit by adopting those same standards.
“These vehicles will permanently displace emissions from conventional vehicles,” CARB Executive Officer Steven Cliff wrote in his letter to the EPA last year, and also noted that internal combustion-powered vehicles are the state’s largest source of emissions.
We’ll have more on this proposed ZEV mandate soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for ongoing Ford news coverage.
