Bill that calls for all vehicles sold in New York to be electric by 2035 heads to Gov. Cuomo’s desk

Updated: Apr 27, 2021 / 01:45 PM CDT

Close-up of a car dashboard, focus is on the meters

ALBANY, N.Y. (NewsNation Now) — The New York legislature is sending Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo a bill that calls for all passenger vehicles sold in the state to be emission-free by 2035.

The bill passed both houses on the strength of Democratic majorities. Only two Republicans in the Senate and three in the Assembly voted in favor.

If Cuomo signs it into law, it would give commercial vehicles, like trucks and buses, until 2045 to comply with the zero-emissions rule.

The bill’s sponsors, Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Steve Englebright (D) and State Sen. Pete Harckham (D), have said it will cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.

Electric vehicles are a key component of President Joe Biden’s pledge to halve the US’s emissions from 2005 by 2030. He also promised the US would be carbon neutral by 2050.

Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have panned the idea as government overreach.

But some car manufacturers are trending in this direction already. Honda has pledged to phase out gas cars in North America by 2040. Ford has promised to be carbon neutral as a company by 2050. Volvo is targeting 2040.