The Washington State Legislature is moving swiftly to create a cleaner transportation system with potentially enormous impacts on the demand for gasoline, the state’s biggest source of carbon emissions. According to a recent press release, on January 15, the Senate voted 26-23 to pass SB 5811, a bill that would enable Washington to join the national Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) program. Additionally, a bill requiring all new vehicles sold in the state to be electric by 2030 (HB 2515) was referred to the House Transportation Committee for a hearing.
Eleven states currently participate in the ZEV program, which requires that a minimum percentage of the passenger vehicles supplied by automakers be electric. By putting the responsibility on automakers to make more electric vehicles available, the program avoids fiscal impact on taxpayers. According to the release, the program is proven to increase the selection of electric vehicles while decreasing the cost to purchase or lease them. If passed, the bill would enable the state to join the ZEV Program, which requires that about 6% of all new cars stocked at dealerships be electric by 2022 -- the first year the measure could go into full effect. Automakers that do not meet the threshold would need to buy credits from another automaker or pay a penalty.
HB 2515, sponsored by Representative Nicole Macri and co-sponsored by Representative Fitzgibbon and five other legislators, was drafted with assistance from Coltura, a Seattle-based nonprofit organization working to accelerate America's transition from gasoline to clean alternatives, and is patterned on vehicle electrification policies announced by approximately 15 countries. It requires all model-year 2030 or later passenger vehicles sold in Washington state to be electric. People could keep, sell, and purchase model-year 2029 and prior gasoline vehicles without restriction. Emergency response vehicles and vehicles over 10,000 pounds, such as farm equipment, would be exempt.
For information on how to support SB 5811, visit Coltura’s website.
