Washington, D.C. has announced its plans to eliminate the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.
The district is following California’s vehicle standards.
In a rulemaking notice, the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment said that one of the “economic incentives” of the goal is that the “average electric vehicle will cost $400 to $4,000 less than a gasoline equivalent by 2032.”
“Even greater cost savings occur when the maintenance and fuel savings of approximately $10,000 that the average owner will save over eight years of ownership are considered,” according to the notice.
The announcement notes, “District residents are already accruing savings in refueling costs from electrification.”
A study doubts if electric vehicles (EVs) are noticeably reducing carbon emissions.
Mark Mills, senior fellow of the Manhattan Institute, wrote that no one knows the degree carbon emissions may decline with the continued development of EVs.
He also noted there is no understanding of when EV prices will be comparable to internal combustion engines.
“Imagining a hypothetical all-EV world requires acknowledging the unavoidable fact of a rats’ nest of assumptions, guesses, and ambiguities regarding emissions,” Mills wrote.
“Much of the necessary data may never be collectible in any normal regulatory fashion, given the technical uncertainties and the variety and opacity of geographic factors, as well as the proprietary nature of many of the processes.”
