The Big Switch: California’s climate czar on banning gas cars

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We’re hard at work on a new season of The Big Switch podcast, which will go deep on the impact of the European energy crisis. And this week, we’re featuring an episode from last season.

There’s been a pretty major shake-up in the world of transit decarbonization. Last summer, the California Air Resources Board – a state organization that regulates air quality – approved a rule mandating that by 2035, all new cars sold in California will be zero-emissions. And last month, California approved a ban on diesel by 2036 in heavy-duty transport.

These rules will transform California's transportation market; and deliver some huge climate and health wins along the way. Between now and 2035, the regulation will result in 9.5 million fewer gas-powered cars on the road. California’s not alone in cracking down on gas cars – soon, as many as seventeen other states may follow suit, resulting in a wave of regulation that could change American transit forever.

In this episode, Dr. Melissa Lott talks with Mary Nichols, the former Chair of the California Air Resources Board, about the history and consequences of the rule.

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