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Fueling The Future: Why Gavin Newsom Banned Gas-Powered Vehicles

Cameron Eittreim August 10, 2023

In a bold move aimed at tackling environmental challenges and ushering in a new era of sustainable transportation, Governor Gavin Newsom has set California on a path to ban gasoline-powered cars by the year 2035. This vision has sparked both excitement and skepticism as it carries significant implications for the state’s economy, environment, and infrastructure. On the positive side, the ban aligns with California’s longstanding commitment to fighting climate change. Transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) could lead to a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality and public health.

The move also fosters innovation and job creation in the burgeoning EV industry, positioning California as a leader in clean technology and manufacturing. Governor Newsom’s decision is underpinned by his commitment to combatting climate change and securing a cleaner future for Californians. As the nation watches this pioneering step, the conversation about the ban’s potential benefits and challenges is set to shape the landscape of the automotive industry for years to come. We looked at the most important reasons why Newsom is banning gas-powered vehicles here.

Pollution Control

California is one of the most polluted states in the union and isn’t getting any better. California residents are all too familiar with “Spare The Air” days in which it’s nearly impossible to go outside. Elimination of gasoline-powered cars will help curb carbon emissions by quite a bit in the state. With the widespread acceptance and availability of electric cars nowadays, it’s not going to be a difficult proposition for widespread adaption (via Allegheny Campus).

Reducing the emissions levels of California air is a top priority, and although some are upset about the banning of gas-powered vehicles, there’s a good reason for it. Classic cars are going to be exempted, which is a good thing, but there won’t be any new gasoline-powered muscle cars or pickup trucks. Nevertheless, the environment is an important thing and the EV will completely change the landscape of California and the auto industry in general.

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Air Quality Improvement

Improving air quality isn’t going to happen overnight with the advent of the electric car, but once new sales of gasoline engines become official, it will be a starting point. Analysts are hopeful that the rise of EVs in the Golden State will change the way that people use transportation. There are such a wide variety of EV models that are on the way to the market that the choices won’t be as limited as they were previously (via Clean Technical).

There have been studies recently that show a slight reduction in emissions with every new 20 EVs that hit the road. This kind of result isn’t something massive but it’s enough to justify ending the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles. The great thing about California is that there are plenty of public charging stations to support these vehicles. Most large cities have some type of charging grid setup nowadays.

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Encourages EV Innovation

Another good thing about California banning the sale of gasoline vehicles is the encouragement of EV innovation. New models are rapidly being released with every new model year, and there are constantly new enhancements. The range has increased dramatically since the days of the GM EV1, and EV cars are a lot more comfortable than they used to be as well. EV innovation is something that needs to continue happening (via Drives).

The Tesla Cybertruck above is just one of the innovative new electric cars on the market. Innovation in the electric car space is being pushed by a few companies including Tesla and Ford. Beautiful new EV cars are changing the way that we look at the automotive industry. The market will continue to adapt as new models get introduced and the lack of gasoline power will only add to the innovation of it.

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Energy Independence

One thing about the rise of the EV in California is the push toward energy independence. California has long been a state that has problems with its power grid and fuel prices, which is why an EV is so appealing to its residents. It used to be that the EV just didn’t have enough range for most consumers but that isn’t the case anymore. Today’s EV is just as notable as the most popular gasoline cars were in history (via Wall Box).

EV cars have become a commonplace item in the automotive industry. The notable styling and increasing performance are only going to aid in energy independence. A lot of EV cars are built right here in America, and it will help with energy independence. The ever-changing green energy movement is only going to bolster the EV market in the future and California will be the first stop.

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Job Creation

A rise in EV production is only going to increase job numbers as well and green jobs are growing in California. As the nation’s largest economy, it only makes sense that there are going to be more new EV jobs happening in the Golden State. One of the reasons that Gavin Newsom wants to eliminate gasoline engines is because of the increased job creation that will come from the EV automakers coming to the state (via ITIF).

Job creation will also come from the likes of charging station production, solar panel installation, and even home charging units. There is no end to the number of jobs that the EV movement in California is going to create. The Golden State has always been one of the pioneering industries when it comes to job creation and this mandate is going to be no different. California will be the future of EV production.

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Global Leadership

The California economy has always been a pioneer of the industry, especially in the tech sector. EV cars are no different as they are at the forefront of transportation technology. The great thing about California is that the economy nurtures advancement. Being a leader in EV tech is only going to bolster the reputation of the state economy. This is something that everyone in the state has wanted for a long time (via Energy Savings Trust).

California is going to be at the forefront of global leadership with the advent of electrification. No other state has outright banned the sale of gasoline vehicles yet, and California is the first. Generally speaking, California usually leads the rest of the country when it comes to technology so this is nothing new. This is just like the era of the dot-com boom and other technological revolutions based in the state.

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Infrastructure Development

California is going to have a lot of new infrastructure development thanks to the increased production of electric cars. The entire energy infrastructure is going to have to evolve and change to support new EVs. Although it seems like a fairly large undertaking the investment has already been made by the automakers. Gavin Newsom has already made plans to increase the number of charging stations tremendously for the state to be ready for the change (via EDF Energy).

The new infrastructure designed to support these cars is going to vastly benefit the economy, especially the local California economy. As we get closer to the future of electric cars, there will be a lot more changes in technology and charging. The California economy will support several new changes, and the EV revolution is one of them. Why not support the environment? California is taking charge in a positive way.

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Incentivizes Cleaner Choices

Most consumers won’t adopt changes willingly, and definitely not as massive as a change as the EV is going to be. But when the old way of driving is no longer available it incentivizes cleaner choices much fast, which is what’s happening in California. Consumers are going to have to choose a much cleaner way to drive, and Newsom is making this happen. The smog problem in California is bad, and switching to EVs is very important (via Drive Clean CA).

The next generation of drivers will also be much more comfortable with electric cars than we ever were. The electric car will be a common thing in the new world, and eventually, gasoline will be a thing of the past. The electric car is so much more efficient in every way, and once drivers adopt it they’ll be quite happy. The difference between gas and electric cars is like night and day and consumers are going to slowly switch over.

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Noise Reduction

The great thing about electric cars is the fact that the noise is a lot more reduced than a gasoline engine. Electric cars are quiet and a much better option for congested cities and areas where noise is a problem. The noise and pollution problem in California has hit a fever pitch and the electric car will change things dramatically. Tesla is leading the charge but now other automakers like Ford have jumped in as well (via ESFI).

Noise reduction is going to be one of the biggest benefits of the EV revolution. There will be a point in time when the roads are almost silent and that will be one of the best things about the EV change. In addition to the reduction in pollution, there will be less noise in the atmosphere.

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Technological Investment

California will soon invest billions into new technology. The tech that it takes to get EV cars on the mainstream isn’t cheap, but it’s needed. The plug-in stations and the new grid are going to be the most important two parts. Technology has to change to support the EV revolution, but it will be worth it. Automakers are going to push the change in the automotive world (via Moval).

One of the things that most analysts will say is the fact that the technological investment isn’t going to be cheap. But electrification of the automotive industry is the future and it’s a must for the economy. The environment is going to benefit tremendously by having EV cars as the main source of transportation on the road.

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Cost Implications

The great thing about EVs being mandated in California is going to be the cost implications. Right now an EV is an expensive car for most people, but that will change soon. As the EV becomes the norm in the automotive industry the price will continue to drop. Eventually, the EV will be a much more affordable option, even compared to the cheapest gasoline options on the market (via Nissan).

The great thing about cars becoming more affordable is the fact that air pollution will continue to decrease. The automakers are working at a feverish pace to reduce the price tag of a new EV but it’s still going to take more work. With the prices going down every month the EV will be the car of the future soon enough.

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Stylistic Changes

Let’s be honest, an EV is unlike a gasoline car in a lot of ways. But perhaps the most notable change is the staying. EVs are the wave of the future, and the styling is not going to be alike at all. The most obviously different thing about an EV is the futuristic styling. We never thought that cars would look like this but the EVs are changing the style of automotive engineering every day (via NRDC).

From the interiors to the engine design the EV is completely different when it comes to design. Most consumers are going to embrace the new styling, but for some, the change is going to be difficult to adapt to. After all, these aren’t going to be like your dad’s Chevelle.

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Range Anxiety

One of the most common complaints with early EV models was the lack of range. You just couldn’t take an EV out for a long road trip because the range just wasn’t there. That’s changed dramatically these days and the range of modern EVs is comparable to gasoline-powered cars (via Green Cars).

The great thing about California pushing the change for electric vehicles is the fact that most California cities have lots of charging stations. With closer access to charging stations most EV drivers will have less anxiety about driving or making a trip.

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Job Displacement

With automakers pushing the boundaries of technology and design, most people were worried about traditional jobs going away. What’s going to happen to oil change technicians or car salesmen? Well with the increase in EV technology, there are going to be new jobs that are created all over the state of California (via Fisher Inc.)

The automotive industry will actually have more jobs than ever before. These jobs are going to be longer-term and more stable, which will be appealing to most in the industry. The jobs in the current automotive industry were always easily replaceable.

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Battery Production Impact

Look, there’s no denying that battery production is one of the major problems with the EV business right now. No one knows where the batteries are going to come from. But with the increased push for EV production in California there are going to be plenty of production facilities (via Energy Sage).

There will be more than enough batteries for the industry and for consumers. The price of batteries will also be reduced as time goes on, which is one of the biggest and most expensive repairs on a used EV nowadays.

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Energy Demand

Energy demand is going to be a big part of EV production. But the welcomed changes to the industry are going to help the power grid cope with the added amount of new cars.

The batteries in the new EV models are going a lot further than they used to, and most modern EVs don’t need to be plugged in for long periods (via Fuel Economy).

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Consumer Adaptation

With the release of the Lucid Air and the F-150 Lightning, consumers are starting to embrace electric cars more and more. Consumers are embracing the change of electric cars much more often now and these cars are becoming the norm (via Edmunds).

Although electric cars used to be a chic thing that only certain people owned, now everyone is embracing them. With California putting the electric vehicles on a major platform the segment is going to keep growing until it’s the mainstream.

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Vehicle Affordability

Electric cars are much more affordable than they once were and that’s a good thing. The idea behind the change to EV affordability is to embrace more consumers who might want one. It also means that production costs associated with an EV are going down as well. It used to be expensive to build an EV but most of the parts are becoming a lot more affordable thanks to technological advances (via Car & Driver).

There are so many affordable options to choose from in the EV market and the never-ending array of cars is only going to keep growing. Automakers are pushing hard to make these cars the standard form of transportation in the world. You’ll begin to see the prices of EVs gradually drop as more affordable models come onto the market. The selection of cars is already mind-boggling but we can expect to see more of them as time marches on.

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Supply Chain Challenges

During Covid, many supply chain challenges hit the automotive industry. One of the most obvious was the chip shortage. This problem affects electric cars more than any other segment. These cars specifically need these computer chipstoo work, so the supply chain is still highly important (via Motor Trend).

The interesting thing about the EV segment is that it’s growing at a rapid pace. That means that the supply chain will continue to grow and become more efficient as these cars become the norm. In the future you’ll be able to find parts for these cars just like any other car, you might even go down the street to your local auto parts store. The future looks to be a bright time for the electric segment of the automotive industry.

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Recycling Complexities

A lot of consumers are concerned about the recycling drawbacks of all of these batteries going into landfills. But California is one of the states that has already enacted several different recycling legislation directed at electric cars. There will be special incentives for recycling as well as centers that will take these batteries and re-use them (via CNET).

The Hummer EV is just one of the many new EVs that’s going to use recycled batteries. The new recycling processes are going to change the way that the industry uses batteries and replaces them in these cars. Consumers won’t have to worry about the environmental impact of battery recycling anymore. The future looks brighter than ever for the EV market and California is leading the charge for an electrified future.

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Fueling The Future: Why Gavin Newsom Banned Gas-Powered Vehicles

Pollution Control

Air Quality Improvement

Encourages EV Innovation

Energy Independence

Job Creation

Global Leadership

Infrastructure Development

Incentivizes Cleaner Choices

Noise Reduction

Technological Investment

Cost Implications

Stylistic Changes

Range Anxiety

Job Displacement

Battery Production Impact

Energy Demand

Consumer Adaptation

Vehicle Affordability

Supply Chain Challenges

Recycling Complexities

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