California Banned the Sale of Gas-Powered Vehicles by 2035, Asks Electric Car Owners to Limit Charging Due to Power Outages
California recently announced that by 2035, the sale of all gas-powered vehicles will be banned in the state. The ban also requires companies to begin “fast-tracking” the production of new electric vehicles, CNBC reported. The new rule would, however, allow auto dealers to sell up to 20% plug-in hybrids, which have gas engines, by 2035.
“The rule does phase out such vehicles over time, requiring 35% of total new vehicle sales to be powered by batteries or hydrogen by 2026 and 68% by 2030. More than 16% of new cars sold in California in 2022 were zero-emissions vehicles, the state said, up from 12.41% in 2021 and 7.78% in 2020.”
CNBC
Shortly after the ban was announced, the California Independent System Operator requested electric vehicle owners to “voluntarily reduce their electricity use” over certain hours during a specific timeframe. The California Independent System Operator also sent a Flex Alert to residents which announced the higher demand for energy, which the state does not have the infrastructure to support.
This isn’t the first time California has asked this of residents either. In June of 2021 California asked electric car owners to voluntarily refrain from charging their vehicles during a heat wave to prevent mass outages.
After requesting electric vehicle owners to simply not charge their vehicles, essentially preventing them from driving, California departments then issued “flex alerts” to residents, requesting them to “set thermostat to 78 degrees or higher, if health permits, turn off unnecessary lights, and avoid using major appliances” from 4PM to 9PM.
As expected, these efforts were pointless, as parts of California are now reporting outages anyways:
This is not the way an American state is meant to function. There is no reason why California residents should have to configure their lives around “flex alerts” and compromise their ability to drive somewhere, use certain appliances, or cool their homes. Unfortunately, California isn’t the only state experiencing complications due to the promise of “green energy” and progress. Residents in Denver, Colorado recently reported being locked out of their smart thermostats, unable to cool down their homes.
The promise of green and renewable energy is a scam, until the infrastructure to support the demand, residents will continue to suffer or simply leave.