Newly Released US Government ‘Blueprint’ Would Ban Nearly All Gas Powered Cars – SlashGear

The blueprint is the result of three government departments — The U.S. Departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency — working together to help tackle the climate problem. The result is an ambitious plan for the country’s transportation sector. The plan claims that in order to tackle the climate crisis, the government “must eliminate nearly all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the sector by 2050” It also claims the transportation sector is “now the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States” which makes addressing it key to the country’s wider climate commitments. 

It goes on to call for “a whole-of-government approach to transform the transportation sector,” which includes everything from federal officials to people in local government, non-profits, and members of the international community. On page 14 of the report, it states that “Success will require unprecedented coordination among every level of government, private industry, community based organizations, stakeholder groups, and all Americans.”

In terms of actual action, there isn’t a lot beyond the policies the government already has in place. New charging infrastructure, a target of 50% of vehicles being electric by 2030, and ensuring all federal fleet procurement is zero-emission by 2027. What may have more of an impact is the state-level bans on fossil fuel cars, most of which kick in by 2035. By 2050, most of the remaining gas powered vehicles will have reached the end of their lives. So while the targets are ambitious, they could also be quite realistic with current legislation.