from Hacker News

California to ban the sale of new gasoline cars

by nocommandline on 8/24/22, 3:30 PM with 190 comments

  • by yongjik on 8/24/22, 4:07 PM

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_fossil_fuel_vehic...

    Almost all major industrial countries plan to ban ICE car sales by mid-2030s, some as early as 2025 (Norway). California's plan is not particularly ambitious.

    If anything, America is lagging behind the trend.

  • by twblalock on 8/24/22, 4:01 PM

    This is aspirational virtue signaling and everyone knows it won't happen by the deadline.

    If the state government was serious about this, they would be installing chargers all over the place.

    I think there is a significant chance that a backlash against this kind of coercion will reduce support for climate policy as a whole and will ultimately be counterproductive for efforts to reduce emissions.

  • by david422 on 8/24/22, 4:16 PM

    FWIW I just got an EV - Chevy Bolt. The car is quiet and performant. It probably costs $12 to "fill up". And I realize how little I actually drive- the range of 260+ miles is more than enough unless I'm going to take a large road trip.

    I've wanted an EV for a while. The Bolt is very competitively priced right now.

    I hope more people hop on the EV train. Every little bit counts. While I do not like regulation, I see more and more giant cars on the road, and it kindof makes me sad that this is the direction people seem to continue to be going.

  • by nprz on 8/24/22, 4:03 PM

    Where will they get the energy to power all these new electric cars? Is the grid capable of handling the demand necessary to charge everyones car?

  • by liquidise on 8/24/22, 4:20 PM

    Tangential to the article: i've never understood how the EV transition will work for renters and high-density livers (high rises,etc).

    If you are in an apartment complex, how will charging look? Is it realistic to have charging ports at every (or even a majority of) reserved parking spots? It feels like there are some obvious logistical concerns for condo parking garages.

  • by mikece on 8/24/22, 3:51 PM

    Combined with the recent news item that at least one bank in Australia will cease offering loans for gasoline/diesel vehicles, the trend toward electric seems to be getting more coercive and less up to the consumer.

  • by sleton38234234 on 8/24/22, 4:24 PM

    The arguments against EV cars is that they're too expensive. But an E-bike capable of 28mph (and seats 1) can be bought for just 800$ (i know because I bought one and use it to commute to work -> and it is fantastic!). The cheapest EV car costs 35K and can go 95mph+ (not that you would), and seats 5. Why is there nothing in between? Regulation. If we allowed the EV industries to innovate and create new products without such restrictive regulations, I think we'd see a ton of cheaper EV mobility options. I would venture to bet, you could even create 4 seaters capable of 50mph well under 10K$. You can always add more regulations later on, if you really need to, but without even allowing the innovation to take place in the first place, we'll never know what's possible.

  • by rconti on 8/24/22, 4:46 PM

    Tangential rant: What will it take to get the major media outlets to stop referring to Federal rules / Washington, D.C. colloquially as "Washington"? I think this is one of the most jarring examples I've seen recently. Even knowing what they're trying say, it reads wrong.

    > Experts said the new California rule, in both its stringency and reach, could stand alongside the Washington law as one of the world’s most important climate change policies, and could help take another significant bite out of the nation’s emissions of carbon dioxide. The new rule is also expected to influence new policies in Washington and around the world to promote electric vehicles and cut auto pollution.

  • by 0xbadcafebee on 8/24/22, 4:10 PM

    The article makes it sound like all 17 other states that have similar legislation might not pass it. They are going to pass it, that's not even a question. Because just like California, if 2034 rolls around and they aren't ready, they'll just extend the deadline.

    The thing that is actually worrying is the fuel economy restrictions by 2026. Most ICE cars will never get 55mpg by then. Mfgs will have to switch to selling hybrids, which most are not ready for (the pandemic pushed any such plans out by at least 3 years). If that doesn't get pulled, it could potentially damage automakers' sales and production plans.

  • by nocommandline on 8/24/22, 3:32 PM

    This will take effect in 2035.

    From the article ....The decision, to take effect by 2035, will very likely speed a wider transition to electric vehicles because many other states follow California’s lead on tailpipe emissions....

  • by ssalka on 8/24/22, 4:29 PM

    Unless there will be further subsidies or EV prices come down by a lot, I just feel like this is going to end up with 1/2 the population being priced out of owning a car.

  • by drumhead on 8/24/22, 4:12 PM

    Do they have the infrastructure in place to allow this to happen? Charging points, electricity generation capacity? Or is it just an unrealistic aspiration?

  • by illuminerdy on 8/24/22, 4:25 PM

    Meh, I predict there will be a rise in 3rd party OEMs, resellers and restorers of "classic" gas cars.

    More annoying than the push for electric is the trend towards computers in cars. Cars used to be fairly easy to diagnose and maintain yourself. But nowadays you need more and more sophisticated troubleshooting equipment. I'll probably end up having one cool 90s car and one cool 60s car.

  • by danschumann on 8/24/22, 4:07 PM

    We need a superhero scientist because I don't think electric cars are a strong enough a replacement in their current manifestation.

  • by throw10920 on 8/24/22, 5:16 PM

    Great, now where's the regulation banning car manufacturers from charging you a recurring subscription for features with a fixed cost, which happens more often with electric cars than ICE vehicles?

    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32580027

  • by perryizgr8 on 8/24/22, 6:08 PM

    If it requires banking, that means electric cars don't make sense yet, compared to internal combustion cars.

    If they were good enough, people would automatically switch without any need for a ban.

  • by toomanyrichies on 8/24/22, 4:32 PM

  • by rcpt on 8/24/22, 4:19 PM

    Cities will be so much quieter.

  • by cpr on 8/24/22, 4:30 PM

    Oh, this'll go well, in the state that can barely keep the power on, requiring millions of new electric cars to charge from same grid.

  • by ur-whale on 8/24/22, 4:31 PM

    I anticipate the birth of an entire Cuba-like industry of keeping old cars running by all means necessary [1] as well as means of producing gasoline from anything organic you can get your hands on.

    Reason: many people simply won't be able to buy a new electric car and will pay as they go to keep the old clunker going (especially given where the economy is headed).

    Fun times ahead.

    [1] https://discovercorps.com/blog/why-is-cuba-filled-with-class...