California is urging the Biden administration to grant approval for its proposal that mandates all new vehicles sold within the state by 2035 to be exclusively electric, hydrogen-powered or plug-in electric hybrids (PHEVs), according to a letter seen and reported on by Reuters.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved the plan in August, but it still needs a green light from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to enforce its own vehicle emissions standards.
On Monday, CARB asked the EPA to approve a waiver under the Clean Air Act that would allow it to implement its new rules. Specifically, the rules mandate that PHEVs, EVs or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles make up 35% of new car sales by 2026, 68% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. The regulation would allow automakers to sell up to 20% PHEVs by 2035, but they’d need a minimum 50-mile all-electric range to qualify.
Crucially, the requirements don’t ban combustion engine vehicles from r …
