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Friday 26 august 2022
California moves toward phasing out gas-fueled vehicles

Continued from From Innovation, which repre-
sents many major car mak-
California climate officials ers, warned about the lack
say the state’s new policy is of infrastructure, access to
the world’s most ambitious materials needed to make
because it sets bench- batteries, and supply chain
marks for ramping up elec- issues as being among the
tric vehicle sales over the challenges to meeting the
next 13 years. state’s timeline.
The first mandated thresh- The new commitment
old comes in 2026, when came as California works
one-third of all vehicles to maintain reliable elec-
sold in the state must be tricity while it moves away
zero-emission. Automakers from gas-fired power plants
could be fined $20,000 per in favor of solar, wind and
vehicle sold short of that other cleaner sources of
goal. energy. Earlier this year, top
About 16% of cars sold in California energy officials
California in the first three warned the state could run
months of this year were out of power during the hot-
electric. The air board is test days of summer, which
working on separate emis- happened briefly in August
sions rules for motorcycles Electric vehicles can be seen charging at a shopping center in Emeryville, Calif., on Aug. 10, 2020.That hasn’t happened
and diesel trucks. 2022. yet this year. But Newsom,
Washington state and Mas- Associated Press a Democrat, is pushing to
sachusetts already have keep open the state’s last-
said they will follow Cali- as supply chain challenges oil-producing U.S. state, she said. remaining nuclear plant
fornia’s lead and many and the high cost of mate- though its output is falling California is the nation’s beyond its planned closer
more are likely to — New rials to build electric cars. as it pushes forward with most populous state , with in 2025, and the state may
York and Pennsylvania are “Automakers could have climate goals. about about 39 million turn to diesel generators
among 17 states that have significant difficulties meet- California shouldn’t wrap its people. They account for or natural gas plants as a
adopted some or all of Cal- ing this target given ele- entire transportation strat- 10%. of the U.S. car market backup when the electri-
ifornia’s tailpipe emission ments outside of the control egy around a vehicle mar- but have 43% of the na- cal grid is strained.
standards that are stricter of the industry,” she said. ket powered by electric- tion’s 2.6 million registered Adding more car chargers
than federal rules. The switch from gas to ity, said Tanya DeRivi, vice plug-in vehicles, according will put a higher demand
Kia Corp.’s Laurie Holmes electric cars will drastically president for climate policy to the air board. on the energy grid.
said the company plans to reduce emissions and air with the Western States Pe- Reaching the 100% goal by Ensuring access to charg-
spend $25 billion by 2025 pollutants. Transportation is troleum Association, an oil 2035 will mean overcoming ing stations is also key to
on electric vehicles and the single largest source of industry group. very practical hurdles, no- ramping up electric ve-
hopes to offer seven mod- emissions in the state, ac- “Californians should be tably enough reliable pow- hicle sales. The infrastruc-
els by 2027. counting for about 40% of able to choose a vehi- er and charging stations. ture bill passed by Con-
But she and several other the state’s greenhouse gas cle technology, including California now has about gress last year provides $5
representatives for auto emissions. But the transition electric vehicles, that best 80,000 stations in pub- billion for states to build
companies expressed will be painful for the state’s fits their needs based on lic places, far short of the charges every 50 miles (80
concern about the state’s oil industry. California re- availability, affordability, 250,000 it wants by 2025. kilometers) along interstate
timeline given factors such mains the seventh-largest and personal necessity,” The Alliance for Automotive highways.q

Biden seeks to bolster legal protection

for DACA recipients

2021 while the case winds to citizenship. about 80% from Mexico
its way through the 5th U.S. “Dreamers are part of the and many of the rest from
Circuit Court of Appeals. fabric of this nation,” said El Salvador, Guatemala
Its 453 pages are largely Biden, using a common and Honduras, according
technical and represent name for the young immi- to government figures.
little substantive change grants. “They’ve only ever In July, the New Orleans-
from the 2012 memo that known America as their based appeals court heard
created DACA, but it was home.” arguments that ending
subject to public comments The rule keeps eligibility cri- the Obama-era program
as part of a formal rule- teria the same, disappoint- would cruelly upend the
WASHINGTON (AP) — The The rule isn’t scheduled making process intended ing some DACA advocates lives of hundreds of thou-
Biden administration on to take effect until Oct. to improve its chances of who wanted to allow more sands who have grown
Wednesday unveiled a 31 and its fate is tied to a surviving legal muster. immigrants to qualify. Ap- up to become tax-paying,
regulation aimed at fend- lawsuit by Texas and other President Joe Biden said he plicants must prove they ar- productive drivers of the
ing off legal challenges to a Republican-led states. would do “everything with- rived in the U.S. by age 16 U.S. economy.
decade-old program that The Deferred Action for in my power” to protect before June 2007. Opponents argued that
shields immigrants from de- Childhood Arrivals pro- DACA recipients while re- More than 600,000 immi- DACA has cost taxpayers
portation if they arrived as gram has been closed to newing a call for legislation grants were enrolled in for health care and other
young children. new registrants since July to provide them a pathway DACA at the end of March, services.q