Massachusetts Will Ban New Gas-Powered Car Sales In 2035

Massachusetts has joined California with a plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in the next decade, a move that will give the public time to transition to zero-emissions electric vehicles. The goal is to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions over the coming years, a key effort in curbing more severe outcomes related to climate change.

The decision to ban new gas-powered car sales in the next decade or so was revealed as part of a wider plan to address climate change and reduce carbon emissions. This is a 'legally binding commitment,' according to The Boston Globe, which first spied the report.

Ultimately, Massachusetts aims to reduce its carbon emissions — by 2030 — to 45-percent below the levels it saw in 1990, making it one of the most ambitious climate-centric goals on record. The state's Baker administration noted the negative effects a warming planet is already having on Massachusetts, including growing wildfire risk, flooding, droughts, and extreme weather.

The state has already heavily invested in lowering carbon emissions and improving the use of renewable energy, a move that put it at 22-percent below its 1990 levels in 2020. This latest move mirrors one recently announced by California, which also plans to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in 2035.

Gas-powered vehicles represent a sizeable portion of emissions in the state, which aims to further reduce its levels by embracing electric car technology. In addition to that change, Massachusetts has committed to retrofitting 1 million houses from gas and oil heating to electric heating, as well as increasing offshore wind power and reducing how many miles workers have to commute by car.