Washington State Passes New EV Law

Late this March, Washington State passed a new bill targeting EV sales inside Washington state. The new bill targets EV Sales, and requires all vehicles with a model year of 2030 or later be an electric vehicle. This bill, called “Clean Cars 2030,” is one of the most aggressive phase outs of gas powered vehicles in the nation.

Clean Cars 2030 was put on the ballot once before, but was vetoed by Governor Jay Inslee the first time around due to concerns about the road usage charge rolled into it. In order to make the bill as clear as possible, Governor Jay Inslee wanted to keep the two related changes to law separate.

Washington State has a wealth of clean energy to power it, with hydropower being one of its biggest sources. This makes switching to electric vehicles a practical way to reduce emissions.

A task force is being put together to help figure out what is necessary to get the grid, roads, and other aspects of infrastructure ready for these changes. At this time Washington has more EV chargers than many other states, but more will be needed along with the power to fast charge cars to make this goal a reality.

It’s too early to tell how successful this bill will be at this time, but it is an exciting step for the US in the road to becoming a clean and green nation.