California has some mammoth goals to sell zero-emission vehicles. Check the plan

California has been steadfast in its move towards electric mobility and wants to ensure that sales of zero-emission vehicles in the state account for 68% of all vehicle sales by 2030 in order for its to eventually hit the goal of 100% sales of such vehicles by 2035. California had been lauded for setting a rather ambitious plan for itself when its 2035 goal was announced but while there also were skeptics, what is now being talked about is the plan outlined till the end of this decade.

According to US media reports, a proposal in the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has outlined a structured plan to help the state eventually achieve its 2035 goal. As per this, 35% of all vehicles sold here would be zero-emission vehicles by 2026, going up to 68% by 2030 and 100% over the next five years. It is important to note here that zero-emission vehicles do not only include electric vehicles (EVs) but plug-in hybrids as well.

CARB goes on to list some of the health-related benefits of the complete move to zero-emission vehicles and this includes a fall in deaths due to cardiopulmonary deaths, fewer hospitalization due to cardiovascular illness and lower emergency room attendance for asthma attacks.

But there could be added incentives for people at large as well. While there are a number of subsidies for people when they buy EVs, the rising prices of petrol has already led California Governor Gavin Newsom to consider putting out a monthly petrol credit to people while - and more importantly - incentivizing mass-transit options. Free travel on buses and underground rail networks are some of the proposals being considered. A sum of $750 million, it is being believed, would be enough to provide free mass transit options to around three million people each day for at least a few months.