If Inslee Signs Bill, No More New Gas Vehicle Sales After 2030 in WA

We are waiting to see what happens.

Legislature passed a bill banning the sale of new gas vehicles in WA after 2030

The automotive industry is already bracing for this one. One year after it passed (2021) but was vetoed by Gov. Inslee, the state Democrat-controlled legislature passed a bill (2022)  that if signed by Inslee, will ban sales of new gas-powered vehicles in our state after 2030.

Autoweek took a look at the legislation a few days ago. The bill would ban the sale of new light-duty cars, SUVs, trucks, vans, etc. after 2030. It would allow continued sales of vehicles 10,000lbs. and up, and also allow emergency vehicles.

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The reason last year's bill died, according to Autoweek:

"The previous effort, which stalled this time last year after passing 54-43 in the state House and 25-23 in the state Senate, was contingent upon 75% of the vehicles in the state entering into a road usage charge scheme that would replace the gasoline tax."

Because the state did not have any kind of working road mileage charge program set up, the bill was vetoed by Inslee. According to Autoweek:

"The 2022 effort, part of a $16.9 billion legislative package called Move Ahead Washington, does not rely on a separate road usage tax that would face its own legislative hurdles, instead opting for a scoping plan to be created by an interagency electric-vehicle coordinating council, led by the Washington state departments of commerce and transportation."

However, according to Edmunds, the car experts, the average price (as of February) for an all-electric vehicle in the US was just over $60,000, which is a price that many, it not most Americans cannot afford.  To read more on this legislation with this very good article from Autoweek, click here.