Gas-powered vehicles will soon be a thing of the past in Oregon.
A new rule adopted on Dec. 19 by Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission bans the sale of new gas-powered vehicles and requires all new cars, trucks, and SUVs sold in the state to be “Zero Emission Vehicles” (ZEVS) by 2035.
The rule is based on vehicle emissions standards adopted by California in August.
Automakers will have two years to plan for the first compliance step of the new rule, which begins with passenger vehicles in the 2026 model year.
“Reducing emissions from gas cars is imperative to meeting Oregon’s climate and air-quality goals,” the five-person commission appointed by Democrat Gov. Kate Brown to serve as the Oregon DEQ’s rule-making board wrote when it announced the rule.
“This action will provide better air quality and enhance the health of all Oregonians.”
Adoption of the Advanced Clean Cars II Rule (ACC II Rule) marks the latest action by the commission to combat climate change and put Oregon on target to achieve its 2035 greenhouse gas reduction goals.
But not everyone is pleased.
“This action was taken covertly behind closed doors by administrative rule using the Governor’s executive order, usurping authority from the legislature,” wrote Oregon Republican Senators Fred Girod and Lynn Findley in a public statement, calling the move a “clear violation of separation of powers.”
“Unelected bureaucrats should not be making decisions for everyday Oregonians,” added House Republican Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, vice chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation.
Republicans call their actions overreach.
“DEQ is an agency that has gone amok and shows a desperate need for administrative oversight,” said Girod, adding that he plans to introduce legislation to rein in the agency in the upcoming legislative session.
Over the past 13 months, the commission has adopted the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule to transition Oregon’s medium and heavy-duty trucks to ZEV technologies, the Climate Protection Program, which sets limits on greenhouse gas emissions, and the Clean Fuels Program Expansion that aims to reduce carbon emissions.
For Brown, who leaves office in January, the rules are the culmination of her long-term climate-change objectives.
In 2020, Brown signed Executive Order 20-04 which directed state agencies to drastically reduce emissions by 50 percent by 2035 and 90 percent by 2050.
Because the transportation sector accounts for almost 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the state, Oregon sees the transition away from gas-powered vehicles as key to reaching those goals.
Oregon had already been working toward a goal set by its legislature in 2019 to have 250,000 registered ZEVs in the state by 2025. As of April 2022, there were approximately 50,000 on Oregon roads, falling well short of the pace in the first three years.
The new rule will force the adoption of the technology.
“I am committed to addressing the climate crisis with urgency,” Brown wrote on Dec. 20.
“Reducing emissions from the transportation sector is a significant part of Oregon’s comprehensive plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the ACC II Rule is a major step towards meeting our goals, while also advancing equitable access to electric vehicles for all Oregonians by supporting the development of a robust used zero-emission vehicle market.”
The DEQ says it will work with several state agencies, local governments, electric utilities, and private businesses to develop a phased approach for ZEV’s future.
In May, the Oregon Department of Transportation committed to spending $100 million in federal and state funds over the next five years to expand Oregon’s EV charging infrastructure.
The ban will not affect cars already on the road or the purchase of used gas-powered cars. Those interested in purchasing a new gas-powered vehicle will have to do so outside of Oregon.
“This is the latest out-of-touch example of what our state agencies and commissions have become,” said Republican House Leader Vicki Breese-Iverson.
“Once again, as Governor Brown’s days in office are winding down, she is working to solidify her progressive legacy without being held accountable.”
