California’s plan to ban new gas-powered cars by 2035 could soon hit dead end

California's plan to ban new gas-powered cars by 2035 could be hitting a dead end by next week. KOVR via CNN Newsource

SACRAMENTO, California — California’s plan to ban new gas-powered cars by 2035 could be hitting a dead end by next week.

The U.S. Senate is set to take a controversial vote next week on whether or not to lift that ban. It comes as new numbers show EV sales slowing in California.

The Wall Street Journal reports GM now wants the mandate lifted as well and is pushing hard for that to happen.

Brian Maas is President of the California New Car Dealers Association. As the U.S. Senate seeks to end California’s 100% zero-emission new vehicle sales mandate in 2035, Maas is warning of a closer deadline — a 35% mandate for next year’s models.

He’s calling on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to pause its own mandate.

“None of the manufacturers our customers would recognize are going to meet that deadline,” Maas said. “And that’s a real problem if you have a rule that people can’t meet. It’s not going to work.”

California EV sales show a once-growing market share suddenly stagnated at about 20%. That stagnation ties into Tesla’s sudden market share slide, falling 12% in the first quarter, blamed on Elon Musk’s political fallout.

State Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) sits on CARB and is a supporter of the zero-emission goals.

“If it craters and no one is buying them, and you’re in 2026 and suddenly the world is upside down, we can re-assess then,” Stern said. “But to sit here and pull the plug, it’s pulling the lifeline on American auto innovation.”

To buy electric or not. It is the car-buying question Joe Edwards answered before he even got to the Elk Grove Auto Mall lot Monday.

“Trying to get a deal,” Edwards said. “I’m going to stick with my gas.”

Edwards searched for a new vehicle ahead of Memorial Day weekend sales. To him, the EV issue is too few charging stations, which is fueling his desire for a new gas-powered ride.

“You’ve got to map everything out when you go out of town. Make sure you stop at a station somewhere that you can plug it up,” Edwards said. “I don’t want to do that, I just want to put some gas in it and go.”