When Might All New Cars Be Electric?

Gasoline vehicles, you’re on the way to becoming part of history. As part of a larger effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a number of states have created mandates to eventually end the sale of gas-powered vehicles.

Transportation accounts for about a third of greenhouse gas emissions according to the EPA, and experts say a mandated switch from gas to electric vehicles could put a real dent into resolving that problem. That means exactly what you think it does: One day, new gas-powered vehicles will not be available to purchase.

While incentives aimed at increasing the number of hybrid and electric vehicles have been around for a while, they haven’t produced the demand for electric vehicles as much as is needed to reduce emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. As a result, some states have taken the decision out of the hands of consumers and committed to ending the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. 

It’s a big change that won’t happen overnight, of course, so the gradual shift from gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles is likely to linger for many decades even once the mandates are in place. 

When Will Sales of Gas-Powered Vehicles End in the United States?

While a number of states have taken aim at ending the sale of new gas-powered vehicles, the internal combustion engine used by those vehicles doesn’t really have a final expiration date just yet. 

There are different reasons for that. While some states have set a concrete timeline, others have simply set goals without actual mandates. Still others simply offer financial incentives for drivers who are willing to make the switch.

At the federal government level, there is not yet a plan, much less a mandate, to require the end of gasoline-powered car sales across the U.S.

In an attempt to get the federal government on board with the idea, a group of 12 state governors banded together in 2021 to ask the White House to institute a federal moratorium on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.

That might seem like an ambitious goal, but it is technically and economically possible for all new cars and trucks to be electric by 2035 according to a study from the University of California at Berkeley.

Even without such a mandate, however, most projections show electric vehicles representing anywhere between 25 and 40 percent of new vehicle sales in the United States by 2035. That represents a big increase over the coming decade or so, but those projections still fall far short of the goal some states have set to completely eliminate the sale of new gas-powered vehicles. 

What’s the Hold Up Against Ending All Sales of Gas-Powered Vehicles?

The drive to end the sale of gas-powered vehicles in the United States faces a number of obstacles. Car manufacturers actually aren’t part of the issue; most are firmly behind the switch. Key reasons for the hold up include:

• Completely switching from gas to electric-powered passenger vehicles will require a large investment in infrastructure, as most locations are under-served by electric vehicle charging stations. 
• A number of states have also balked at the idea because gas taxes often represent a large share of state revenues. 
• Without a federal mandate, states that are unable to solve these issues are unlikely to end the sale of gas-powered vehicles on the same timeline as California and others that have already instituted mandates.

If a federal mandate were to be enacted, it’s likely that those states would receive assistance of some sort to help them recover any financial shortfalls they might experience. Infrastructure assistance would also likely be included in any federal mandate, too.

My State Has No Plans to Require the Sale of EVs. What Does That Mean?

If your state doesn’t have a mandate yet, that could mean a handful of things. For example, your state might have set a goal to end or reduce the sales of new gas-powered vehicles, which could turn into a mandate if relevant legislation is passed. 

Your state could also be in the process of trying to pass a mandate. For example, Washington state passed legislation that would have ended the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2030, but the governor vetoed it because the legislation tied the mandate to road use fees. The governor explained that “achieving a goal of 100% electric vehicles is too important to tie to the implementation of a separate policy like the road usage charge.”  

In that specific case, it’s likely that the governor would sign an amended bill if the legislature were to come back with one. 

Another possibility is that your state might already offer financial incentives aimed at increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road, like rebates or reduced electricity costs if you charge your car at night. States with incentives like these might issue mandates in the future, or they might not.

A handful of states don’t even have incentives in place, but that could change at any time. If your state doesn’t have a mandate, or even if there are no plans at all, it’s a good idea to follow your state legislature in the coming months and years because laws and regulations change all the time.

Why Can’t I Buy Another Kind of Car?

In states that have mandates to end the sales of new gas-powered vehicles, the mandates are usually driven by larger plans to reduce greenhouse emissions. Some states have plans to still allow hybrid vehicles because they have lower emissions than gas-only cars and trucks, while others are strictly committed to zero emission vehicles.

If you live in one of the latter states, you’ll find nothing but electric vehicles on new car lots after the implementation of the mandate.

If you want to buy another kind of car, you’ll probably still be able to buy a used gas-powered vehicle even after the mandates go into effect. In states that have mandates to end the sale of gas-powered vehicles, like California, the mandate currently only applies to new vehicle sales.

That means you’ll still be able to buy a used car that runs on gas, or a used hybrid electric vehicle, after the mandates have been put into place.

Does This Mean I Won’t be Able to Get Gas Anymore for Other Vehicles?

No, it doesn’t. You will still be able to buy gas for an existing gas car even after electric vehicle mandates are enacted. Mandates address the sale of new vehicles, not the operation of old ones, and especially not the sale of gasoline. 

Even if a federal mandate ended the sale of new gas-powered cars in 2035, old gas-powered cars would still be on the road decades later, so the availability of gas will only be phased out over a very, very long period of time as demand winds down.

What Am I Supposed to Do With My Gasoline-powered Car?

You can continue driving your gasoline-powered car, you can sell it, and you will probably be able to trade it in even after regulations mandate that all new car sales be electric vehicles. 

For example, if a federal mandate ended the sale of new gas-powered cars on January 1, 2035, you could roll into a dealership six months later, trade your old car in, and drive away in a new electric vehicle. Since it would be perfectly legal for the dealership to sell used gas-powered cars under the current mandates, your vehicle would still have monetary value even after the mandates went into place. 

Over time, however, as used gas-powered vehicles age and reach the point of functional obsolescence, they might lose more value, be scrapped, or just held onto as collectors items just like older vehicles today.

While it does seem certain that at least some states will end the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, if not sooner, it’s important to remember that the change won’t be a sudden one.

Used gas-powered vehicles will remain legal to buy, sell, and operate under the mandates as currently envisioned, and gas will remain available for purchase as long as there are still gas-powered vehicles on the road.

List of States with Mandates to End Gas-Powered Vehicle Sales