I’m shocked that no one at the Providence Journal bothered to ask the governor, unelected bureaucrats, and others who support this if they themselves are driving EVs
State wants to phase out sales of new gas-powered vehicles in RI by 2035. Here’s how they’ll do it.
Rhode Island is joining a wave of states that are following California’s lead to phase out sales of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035 in a bid to reduce air pollution and combat climate change.
Gov. Dan McKee will announce Wednesday the decision to go forward with the regulations that are the strictest in the nation on mandating sales of electric cars and trucks. It would bring Rhode Island in line with Massachusetts, New York and other states that have already adopted California’s new standard that aims for a full-scale transformation of America’s automotive industry.
It would also boost Rhode Island’s efforts to comply with a landmark state law that requires deep emissions cuts.
“The Act on Climate put us on the clock for meeting major carbon reduction mandates, and it’s clear to me that Rhode Island will only meet the mandates by addressing the transportation sector head-on,” McKee said in a statement.
We’re slashing carbon emissions here in RI.????
Today, we join 7 states in adopting a new policy — by 2035, all NEW cars imported into RI will be electric.
This gets us 1 step closer to meeting our Act on Climate goals. It's the right thing to do for our economy and our health. pic.twitter.com/lFARAhgZQI
— Governor Dan McKee (@GovDanMcKee) May 10, 2023
Well, hey, you Democrats voted for this, suck it up, no complaining.
The move will necessitate big changes for Rhode Island’s auto dealers. In 2022, only 5.2 percent of vehicle sales in the state were electric, up only slightly from the year before. In 2027, the first year Rhode Island would begin enforcing the standard, 43 percent of all new cars and trucks sold in the state would have to be electric or hydrogen-powered models.
Automakers have already begun transitioning to emissions-free vehicles, but supply chain issues across the entire industry have slowed the delivery of new models. If supplies remain tight, it will be the states that require sales of electric cars that will get them first, said Terry Gray, director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.
How many dealers will this put out of business, because there just aren’t enough vehicles to sell, and most working class and middle class folks can’t afford them? How will you get from 5.2% to 43% in 4 years, then 100% by 2035? Where does all that metal for the batteries come from? What about the energy to charge them?
Read: Rhode Island Looks To Be Fossil Fueled Vehicle Free By 2035 »