California aims to get 5 million zero-emission cars on the road

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a statewide executive order Friday aimed at dramatically increasing the number of zero-emission vehicles on the state’s roads and reducing carbon pollution over the next 12 years.

The state will work to get 5 million zero-emission vehicles on California roads by 2030, a goal Brown announced at his State of the State speech Thursday night. The executive order also details investing $1.25 billion in cap-and-trade auction proceeds and another $2.5 billion investment over eight years to bring a quarter million vehicle-charging stations to the state by 2025.

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“This executive order aims to curb carbon pollution from cars and trucks and boost the number of zero-emission vehicles driven in California,” said Brown in a statement Friday. “In addition, the cap-and-trade investments will, in varying degrees, reduce California’s carbon footprint and improve the quality of life for all.” 

California has taken big steps to reduce carbon emissions from transportation in the state. The sector accounts for 50 percent of greenhouse gases in California and 80 percent of the pollutants that cause smog, according to Brown’s statement.

The state may also soon be facing a fight with the Trump administration over vehicle fuel standards. California under the Obama administration used a waiver to implement more stringent state emissions standards than mandated under federal law.

President Trump has promised to roll back regulations and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently considering revising the federal vehicle emissions standard. 

EPA air and radiation head Bill Wehrum announced at an event Thursday that the administration is favoring a unified national fuel emissions standard for automobiles, which could challenge California’s stricter standard.