The west coast onslaught against gas-powered vehicles just grew stronger. Oregon joins California and Washington in the war against gas and diesel vehicles in an effort to increase electric car sales. Oregon adopts the Advanced Clean Cars II program set in place by the California Air Resource Board, giving them a roadmap to increase zero-emissions cars on Oregon roads. Here’s how Oregon lawmakers intend to implement this plan.

1. Compliance: Oregon’s EV Adoption increases electric car sales

Oregon follows the same path as California from where they are now to a world of 100% zero-emissions vehicles sold in the state by 2035. Of the three west coast states, only Washington has a stricter goal with a stated plan to reach this mark by 2030.

To get the ball rolling, Oregon requires that 35% of all automaker’s offers come from battery-electric, PHEC, or hydrogen fuel cell cars by January 1, 2026, according to Autoweek. Of course, this is only the first step in the process.

2. Infrastructure: Electric cars need a place to charge

New EV owners must have public chargers available to charge their vehicles when the batteries run low. Oregon cannot rely on all EV owners to charge at home, nor can they expect drivers to limit themselves to the driving range of their chosen vehicles.

Oregon will invest $100 million to build more EV charging stations along major highways. This investment will also bring more charging locations to rural areas, which can be the most troublesome challenge for electric car owners facing long daily commutes.

3. Compromise: Not all vehicles will be fully-electric by 2035

Some assume adopting a zero-emissions plan by 2035 means no more gasoline, but that’s not the case. In fact, Oregon will continue to allow plug-in hybrid vehicles to be sold past 2035. These PHEVs must offer an electric driving range of 50 miles or more. This technically means these vehicles aren’t zero-emission models, but the trade-off is a much more efficient drive and lower emissions.

This Oregon EV adoption plan should be easy for fully-electric vehicles. All battery-powered vehicles must have a driving range of 150 miles and offer DC fast-charging capability. Considering the new EVs heading to the market today, that should be pretty simple 12 years from now.

Why has Oregon committed itself to EV adoption by 2035?

Most of us hear about wildfires, extreme heat, and other disasters that ravage the west coast yearly. Some of these events are caused by greenhouse gases expelled from vehicles on the roads. Adopting the Advance Clean Car II program is a major step in moving away from these problems and toward a cleaner environment.

“Oregon continues to see the consequences of greenhouse gas emissions across the state-with extreme heat, more severe wildfires, winter storms and flooding and prolonged drought-and I am committed to addressing the climate crisis with urgency.” – Oregon Governor Kate Brown

What is Advanced Clean Cars II?

The California Air Resource Board developed the Advanced Clean Cars II regulations to meet an aggressive stance for EV adoption. Many states are adopting this program to follow along the same path as California and Oregon.

Next, find out if the new climate bill helps most Americans, or learn more about the Oregon EV adoption plan in this video below: