It's time for nuclear to make a comeback.

That, or horses and buggies. We still would need to use energy to provide feed to all the horses...

Oh Amy, AC and other high-energy-usage "luxuries" will soon be outlawed, for all but the leftist Cali elite. The rest of you will be told to sweat for the good of the earth.

The "by 2035" part of that directive assumes that, by 2035, there will be plenty of solar panels and wind turbines dotting the landscape in California to power all these electric vehicles.

What this landscape dotted with solar panels and wind turbines will look like is yours to ponder. Using the generating capacity of today's solar and wind technology as a guide, no open space will remain as city squares, parking lots, and rooftop atria will be covered in solar panels or dotted with wind turbines. The air will be clear, but you'll never see the sky.

The "by 2035" part of that directive assumes that, by 2035, there will be plenty of solar panels and wind turbines dotting the landscape in California to power all these electric vehicles.

The "by 2035" part of the directive is far enough in the future that nobody will be held accountable for its success or failure.

I've talked to my kids about this kind of thinking, where some politician declares that the solution to an immense technological problem is merely a matter of political will. I call it "If we could put a man on the moon, then we ought to be able to XXXX" kind of thinking. This is a job for engineers and scientists, who might come up with something far removed from the politicians' vision, which in most cases will be pretty limited anyway.

The "by 2035" part of the directive is far enough in the future that nobody will be held accountable for its success or failure. ~ Old RPM Daddy (OldRPMDaddy at GMail dot com) at September 28, 2020 4:57 AM

Yep. Politicians love to make those kinds of directives - no accountability for failure and paid for by someone else.

Do you think Newsom drives (or rides) exclusively in electric vehicles today? Do you think he flies on electric-powered aircraft today? Do you think his political rallies (or his office) are powered solely by solar and wind today? How about his family winery, the source of his wealth and political influence?

Using the generating capacity of today's solar and wind technology as a guide, no open space will remain as city squares, parking lots, and rooftop atria will be covered in solar panels or dotted with wind turbines. ~ Conan the Grammarian at September 28, 2020 4:51 AM

The reason I used today's technology as a guide is because California will have to start installing those non-carbon energy sources today in order to meet the demand in 15 years if this directive holds.

Keep in mind that the state's extant non-carbon energy sources are already being overwhelmed by the demand today. A massive building program is needed to keep up with current demand. Add to that no more carbon-fueled vehicles being sold by the time today's newborn is ready to drive and you'll need an even bigger building program to meet that demand.

An alternative to covering every inch of open space in solar panels in order to meet the demand created by this directive is to largely depopulate the state - which they're on their way toward doing even now.

I'm with Old RPM. The current crop of politicians expect to be out of office by then and thus not responsible for what happens.

Also as I understood things this was a ban on the sale of gas cars in California. Not a ban on gas stations. So lots of car dealerships will probably spring up on the California border. Just like the first thing you see crossing the Oklahoma boarder into Texas is a porn store.

AOC "The world will end in 12 years"
California, "in 15 years all new cars will be electric."
Well a pretty safe prediction if it's after the world ends.
Of course I always interpreted AOC's 12 year world ending comment as her announcing her intention to run for President in 12 years.

AOC "The world will end in 12 years"
California, "in 15 years all new cars will be electric."
Well a pretty safe prediction if it's after the world ends.
Of course I always interpreted AOC's 12 year world ending comment as her announcing her intention to run for President in 12 years.

I'm with Old RPM. The current crop of politicians expect to be out of office by then and thus not responsible for what happens. ~ Ben at September 28, 2020 5:55 AM

Newsom will be 67 in 2035. He'll either be in a national office or retired to his family winery by then.

Also as I understood things this was a ban on the sale of gas cars in California. ~ Ben at September 28, 2020 5:55 AM

It is a ban on the sale of gas-powered cars.

California will still expect to get sales taxes or fees for any car purchased out-of-state and brought into the state. Probably enact a few new fees for that.

And those border dealers in Nevada, Arizona, and Oregon will be too far away for the urban poor of LA, SF, SD, etc. So, the used car market ought to do pretty well for the first several years of that ban. Keep in mind that there are still 15 years to go, so bans on gasoline stations may not be far behind.

Just like the first thing you see crossing the Oklahoma boarder into Texas is a porn store. ~ Ben at September 28, 2020 5:55 AM

Porn stores seem to be a rural thing. Drive through any non-urbanized part of the country and you'll see dozens of billboards for "adult" stores.

Sex on the farm must be pretty wild if the hicks-in-the-sticks are keeping the "adult" toy store in business.

California will still expect to get sales taxes or fees for any car purchased out-of-state and brought into the state. Probably enact a few new fees for that.

Florida used to do that, until it was struck down as unconstitutional. Something something Interstate Commerce.

I am given to understand that solar panels have a life cycle on the order of about 20 years. So the panels going up today will be just about due for replacement in 2040.

Go long on the solar panel manufacturing sector.

Conan, porn stores are illegal in Oklahoma. Or at least they were a few years ago. There was a push to legalize them what with the internet and all. DW's is on a bluff overlooking the Red River on I-35, just on the Texas boarder. There are no Texas towns nearby. It has pretty much survived on Oklahomans and truckers.

As for hicks-in-the-sticks keeping the adult industry going, no. It is lonely truckers. They support the freight industry and not the agricultural one.

Florida used to do that, until it was struck down as unconstitutional. Something something Interstate Commerce. ~ IRA Darth Aggie at September 28, 2020 7:35 AM

Florida's law was ruled unconstitutional because it discriminated against out-of-state goods. If California writes a statute that imposes impact fees on all newly-registered gasoline-powered cars registered in the state, then such a law might pass muster.

As for hicks-in-the-sticks keeping the adult industry going, no. ~ Ben at September 28, 2020 8:10 AM

Sarcasm, Ben.

Every time I drive away from the city, I find porn store billboards. So, I joke about wild sex in the sticks (or the working class if you're an Oingo Boingo fan).

🎵 Wild sex in the working class
After five it's a gas
Wild sex in the working class
Counting minutes gonna get home fast 🎵

The Big Question is where is all the lithium and the rare earth metals for the batteries and electronics for all these cars going to come from. If this mandate is not repealed California's car buyers are going to end up dependent on Chile and to a far greater extent the People's Republic of China for the raw materials needed to build their cars. A si4e effect of this edict will be the acceleration of the PRC's extinction of the Uighur's since they are sitting on the source of the rare earths. Also mining and refining these metals is an incredibly dirty and toxic process. Use Google Earth to look at the PRC's production sites in Central Asia to see the horrendous environmental devastation they cause.
Electric cars do far more environmental harm that IC vehicles, what they do is shift the damage to where is is out of sight of the short sighted want to feel good Progressives.

@Willian Volshiem
"If this mandate is not repealed California's car buyers are going to end up dependent on Chile and to a far greater extent the People's Republic of China for the raw materials needed to build their cars."
Strange how the Progressives seem intent on selling out the US to the PRC. I wonder if it because they agree with the PRC's authoritarian regime or are corrupt and doing the biden of their PRC paymasters.

Use Google Earth to look at the PRC's production sites in Central Asia to see the horrendous environmental devastation they cause.

If you're talking about the environmental impact of communism on the environment, you're spot on. The "don't give a shit" factor is high, especially when related to "I have to make my 5 year production quota". Environmental niceties are for people who think that' important and can afford it.

I wonder if it because they agree with the PRC's authoritarian regime or are corrupt and doing the biden of their PRC paymasters.

Embrace the power of "and".

It's just an executive order from Governor Tooth Whitening McHairstyle.

Easy enough to undo.

My friend took a 7 hour drive in a Tesla but every 1.5 hrs they had to stop to charge up for 45 minutes, so the trip took 10 hrs. The fast charging stations promised by Elon are still vaporware. Now imagine cars pulling in to a gas station and instead of 8 minutes for gas they all have to sit 45 min. How many chargers do you need? More than there is room for. Also, out west there are lots of places with nowhere to charge up for miles and miles.

"I wonder if it because they agree with the PRC's authoritarian regime or are corrupt and doing the biden of their PRC paymasters."
I see what your did.

OK, one thing first: the bulk of driving is short-range. This will be cut further as companies have noticed ways to get more out of people working at home, courtesy of COVID.
So, chargers can work all night or at the destination company, where they will draw a couple of thousand watt-hours sitting all day. Please note that your 110V outlet can deliver 1500 watts continuously, so this will charge 12000 watt-hours in an 8-hour day, and that this is about what your window A/C draws (please note that a watt-hour is a quantity, and the watt is the rate, or power). If you are not at home, your home is powered down, as it is at night.

Remember, the bulk of cars sit more than they roll. Realize that the demand on any charger depends on how much the battery was discharged.

"Electric cars do far more environmental harm that IC vehicles, what they do is shift the damage to where is is out of sight of the short sighted want to feel good Progressives."

Not shown, even though the turbodiesel has less short-term impact. Feel free to look at the graphic in this article.

It remains that not driving is the best way to save energy driving.

Does somebody here hate SUVs? You might be surprised to note that a 150HP electric motor is capable of more than 600 ft-lbs of torque. The idea that an electric vehicle is some version of a Priuth lasts exactly as long as one's first ride in a Tesla.

The biggest thing for car companies to eat is that electric cars just don't break, they don't get oil dirty. What service?

Instant torque electric plus just-in-case gasoline power sounds like a good combination - at least until we've all got a Mr. Fusion powering things.

"So, chargers can work all night or at the destination company, where they will draw a couple of thousand watt-hours sitting all day." Probably a little more than that, Tesla is apparently about 3 miles per kwh, so if you're driving 12 miles each way to work (not uncommon), that's 4kwh if you're just charging for one way and 8kwh if you're charging for the roundtrip.

And you can only charge reliably at work if the entire parking lot (assuming an all-EV world) is wired for charging...and you get the fun of plugging in the charging cable in the middle of rain, snow, whatever.

Most people will probably prefer to charge at home..which means either the evening (already a high-electrical demand period when there isn't a lot of solar power available) or a night (less demand, but *no* solar available).

The most absurd part of this is that anyone can buy a gas car outside cali and drive it home. This will have no impact on the number of gas cars in cali but will make it hard to get dealer service when the dealers are all in Nevada or Oregon.

"people will probably prefer to charge at home"

So landords who own small apartment buildings will have to invest in charging stations for a half-dozen apartments? What will that do to rents? And if they're exempted, how does that support the plan? And if they're forced to install it, how long before they simply convert the tenant parking to a barbecue area and everyone has to park on the street and, again, no charging stations?

Newsom seems to be doing the wake-n-bake routine these days ...

The most absurd part of this is that anyone can buy a gas car outside cali and drive it home. ~ cc at September 29, 2020 12:05 PM

Wanna bet there will be an "impact fee" on all gasoline or diesel powered vehicle sales.

Not everyone can afford to go out of state to buy a car. The used car market will take care of some of those folks - at least for a while. The state will start looking like Cuba, full of older cars maintained out of necessity and not out of a love of antique iron.

How long after the ban on fossil-fueled vehicle sales goes into effect will the state wait before imposing an "impact fee" on fossil fuel sales?

Gog's point about small apartment building owners not installing charging stations is also on point.

Newsom's mandate actually references "zero-emission" vehicles, leaving room for the widespread adoption of vehicle propulsion systems other than battery-electric.

On the other hand, several people here have raised a good point about the resources needed to generate the power for these alternative propulsion systems. Batteries take rare-earth elements. Fuel cells require a fuel and an oxidizing agent. Emissions are not the only impact vehicle propulsion has on Mother Earth.

Newsom and others are trying to drive the poors out of California without admitting it. I've run into a number of people in California who think if you can't buy a +$70k Tesla then you are just too poor to drive a car. You should be forced to ride the bus. Now, I can't say how widespread that philosophy is. But at least these fellows had no concern saying that in public and recorded forever on the internet.

Can you plug an extension cord into an outlet? Then you can keep an electric vehicle. Your phone is already smart enough to impose "do not disturb" hours, and so will your charger.
I have a 25-mile commute, which is not negotiable because my workplace is in the middle of a 300-square-mile Federal reservation.

I could go 5 days before I charge.

Don't miss that self-driving or semi-intelligent cars can be set to speed limits and maximize range.

Electrics will own the commute. It's interstate and exploratory travel that needs more-instant "refueling".

No oil changes. No gearbox oil changes. No axle oil changes. Traction control is instantaneous. Regenerative braking saves some capacity (not much), but drastically extends brake life. No underhood heat cooking plastics. No radiator. No noise. No exhaust heat. No drivetrain impacts from shifting.

If you can get over the apparent need to do everything without planning, RIGHT THE HELL NOW I'M LATE... or you can realize you don't have to be fully charged to run an errand... you'll be fine.

Rad, why would I want two cars? Sometimes I do travel from town to town. Mainly to visit relatives. If you are a one car household the hassle with interstate travel is often a deal breaker. Also current electrics cost more.

The main issue I have is California trying to decide these things by law. If electrics outcompete internal combustion in the market, hey that is just what people want. But if things are banned by law that is another thing entirely.

I also stand by my claim that Newsome wants to push poor people out of California with this. It won't work. But that is part of the intent.

"If electrics outcompete internal combustion in the market, hey that is just what people want."

In theory - just as the average American is supposed to run this country - the market will take care of this, but there are many examples of how widespread ignorance obscures what turns out to be the right path. Example: LA smog was killing people. The public kept driving. Early smog controls were awful, resulting in cars that were truly horrible.
Now, with lower emissions, a Corvette will smoke a Super Bee Hemi from the '60s while running the A/C, putting out far less emission and getting four times the mileage. So what you see is not the end.

How do you reduce the need for instant gratification in the marketplace?