Hochul orders all vehicles sold in New York be zero emissions by 2035.
A directive has been issued to the State Department of Environmental Conservation from Governor Kathy Hochul to take major regulatory action that will require all new passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs sold in New York State to be zero emissions by 2035.
According to the Governor’s Office, this is a crucial regulatory step to achieving significant greenhouse gas emission reductions from the transportation sector and is complemented by new and ongoing investments also announced, including electric vehicle infrastructure progress, zero-emission vehicle incentives, and ensuring New York’s communities benefit from historic federal climate change investments.
Governor Hochul said:
New York is a national climate leader and an economic powerhouse, and we’re using our strength to help spur innovation and implementation of zero-emission vehicles on a grand scale.
“With sustained state and federal investments, our actions are incentivizing New Yorkers, local governments, and businesses to make the transition to electric vehicles. We’re driving New York’s transition to clean transportation forward, and today’s announcement will benefit our climate and the health of our communities for generations to come.”
Albany says proposing draft state regulations is a “crucial step” to further electrify the transportation sector and help New York achieve its climate requirement of reducing greenhouse gases 85 percent by 2050, while also reducing air pollution, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
The State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is expediting this regulatory process to implement legislation Governor Hochul signed last year and turn those goals into progress in fully transitioning to new zero-emission cars and trucks.
California’s action finalizing the Advanced Clean Cars II regulation last month unlocked New York’s ability to adopt the same regulation.
The regulation will build upon existing regulations enacted in New York in 2012 by requiring all new sales of passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs to be zero-emission by 2035.
It would require an increasing percentage of new light-duty vehicle sales to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) starting with 35 percent of sales in model year 2026, 68 percent of sales by 2030, and 100 percent of sales by 2035.
New pollutant standards for model year 2026 through model year 2034 passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles with internal combustion engines would also be required. The regulation provides manufacturers with flexibility in meeting the emission requirements and achieving a successful transition to cleaner vehicles.
Additionally:
DEC Municipal Zero-Emission Vehicle Grants
New York State is making $5.75 million available to help municipalities purchase or lease zero-emission vehicles for fleet use and to install public electric vehicle charging and hydrogen fueling stations.
DEC is accepting applications now through Sept. 30, 2022. Administered by DEC’s Climate Smart Communities Program, these zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) grants are part of New York’s commitment to supporting municipal efforts to prevent further climate change. The total funds made available for the 2022 round are the largest allocation in the program’s history.
In addition, for the first time, 40 percent of the funds will be prioritized for projects in disadvantaged communities, as identified by the Climate Justice Working Group’s draft criteria.
Applications for DEC’s ZEV rebates and ZEV infrastructure grants are available through the New York State Grants Gateway. Additional information about these grants is available at https://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/109181.html#ZEV.
NYSERDA Drive Clean Rebate
Additionally, $10 million has been added to the Drive Clean Rebate program, administered by NYSERDA, to help consumers purchase or lease an electric vehicle to put more clean vehicles on the road by 2035.
This point-of-sale rebate takes up to $2,000 off the price of a vehicle and can be coupled with a federal tax rebate of $7,500 to provide consumers with up to $9,500 in savings.
The rebate is offered at participating car dealerships with higher rebates available on longer range, all-electric vehicles. Since launching in 2017, the Drive Clean Rebate provided more than $92 million in rebates to New Yorkers in all 62 counties of the State and has helped further drive down emissions.
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Hochul Orders All Vehicles Sold in NY Be Zero Emissions by 2035, September 29, 2022
