California is expected to ban all sales of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 in a push to transition away from fossil fuel-based cars to electric vehicles.

California, which has the largest car market in the United States, is expect to put the new regulation in place on Thursday after a vote by the Democratic-controlled California Air Resources Board, the New York Times reported.

The rule will also set interim targets to gradually phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles.

Starting in 2026, 35 percent of new cars sold will have to be zero-emission vehicles.

That figure will increase to 68 percent in 2030. As of August, only 12 percent of new cars sold in California were EVs.

• The state’s move will be the first ban on internal combustion engines in the US.

As the largest auto market in the nation, the new rule will have a major impact on the American car industry.

The measure is part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s pledge to achieve a zero emissions economy by 2045.

Source: Arutz Sheva