Washington, D.C., is on track to follow several states in implementing California’s ambitious electric vehicle mandate to eliminate the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
On Friday, D.C. Department of Energy and Environment officials said by adopting California’s vehicle standards under Section 177 of the federal Clean Air Act, the average cost of an EV will be “$400 to $4,000 less than a gasoline equivalent by 2032.”
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“District residents are already accruing savings in refueling costs from electrification,” DOEE officials said in a statement. “Electric vehicle prices continue to decrease over time and [the Environmental Protection Agency] projects that when considering all of the economic incentives available the average electric vehicle will cost $400 to $4,000 less than a gasoline equivalent by 2032. Even greater cost savings occur when the maintenance and fuel savings of approximately $10,000 that the average owner will save over eight years of ownership are considered.”
In March 2022, the EPA reinstated California’s authority to establish its own emissions standard.
The California Air Resources Board proposed the Advanced Clean Cars II Act in August 2022. It “establishes a year-by-year road map so that by 2035 100% of new cars and light trucks sold in California will be zero-emission vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.” Since then, over a dozen states, including New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Washington, and Oregon, have adopted similar regulations.
In September 2023, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would prevent the EPA from allowing states to adopt independent stricter emission control standards, but the bill has yet to progress further.
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In April 2023, the EPA released new tailpipe emission standards for model year 2027 and later light-duty and medium-duty vehicles, setting an emissions limit on the number of new cars each automaker sells annually. DOEE officials said they are taking emissions reduction a step further by adopting “California’s more stringent vehicle emission standards.” The House backed a bill to block the EPA’s effort to reduce tailpipe pollution last month.
D.C. offers a number of incentives to encourage residents to shop electric on top of the $7,500 federal tax credit for new, qualified plug-in electric vehicles for qualified purchases.
