Auto Industry News: California to Ban Gas-Powered Cars, 2020 Beijing Auto Show Hints to a Rebounding Market, Tesla Teases $25K Model & Ford Announces Manual “Sasquatch” Bronco

California makes environmental waves (again), this time attempting to ban new gas-powered cars by 2035. Those interested in next-gen EVs will find them front and center at the 2020 Beijing Auto Show—along with flying cars. Plus, Elon Musk teased a $25K Tesla model on Battery Day, while Ford answered fans’ cries for a manual transmission Bronco Sasquatch package. Let’s dig in.

California Plans to Ban Gas-Powered Cars

Yes, you read that correctly. The same state that says it’s illegal to store anything other than automobiles in a garage (San Francisco and Long Beach), for men with mustaches to kiss a woman (Eureka), or to stand on the sidewalk with ice cream (Carmel, and since repealed by former Mayor Clint Eastwood), now bans gas-powered cars.

Three of these trivial California laws are/were on the books but rarely, if ever, enforced. However, last week, Governor Gavin Newsom passed an executive order directing state regulators to develop a “Zero-Emissions Vehicle Market Development Strategy” by January 31, 2021. And that, friends, is something he plans to enforce.

“This is the next big global industry,” Governor Newsom stated at a news conference, referring to clean-energy technologies such as electric vehicles. “And California wants to dominate it.”

Such a plan creates new regulations that would require automakers to sell an increasing number of zero-emissions passenger vehicles in California. The ultimate goal is for 100% of in-state new passenger car and truck sales to be zero-emission by 2035.

Newsom’s executive order, which can be read HERE, doubles down by stating another goal. One-hundred percent of in-state medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales shall be zero-emission by 2045 (and by 2035 for drayage trucks) “for all operations where feasible.”

But wait—there’s more! “It shall be further a goal of the State to transition to 100% zero-emission off-road vehicles and equipment by 2035 where feasible,” as well.

As part of this plan, Newsom encourages state transportation agencies to work on expanding access to mass transit and biking, in an effort to reduce Californians’ reliance on driving.

Tackling Climate Change or Political Posturing?

The California-based Coalition for Clean Air praised Newsom’s executive order, saying it is fully committed to helping implement the new policy. “The Governor’s Executive Order is a meaningful step in addressing the climate crisis and protecting the health of Californians,” the coalition said in an email to NPR. “Electrifying transportation will also create jobs and help California move forward in its economic recovery.”

Supporters also argue the ban is not that radical, especially when compared to countries like Norway or Singapore. They point to the fact that, technically, CA residents will still be able to drive “gas-guzzlers,” as well as purchase them on the used market. Those vehicles just won’t be new.

Overall, though, California’s plan to ban gas-powered cars is garnering more “nays” than “yays.”

“SEMA is deeply disappointed in Governor Newsom’s decision to escalate his ongoing feud with the Trump Administration at the expense of the consumer and California’s small businesses,” said Daniel Ingber, SEMA Vice President of Government and Legal Affairs. “SEMA will work with the industry and enthusiasts in opposing the Governor’s proposal on all fronts.”

“Neither mandates nor bans build successful markets,” said John Bozzella, President and CEO at Alliance for Automotive Innovation. “What builds successful markets is widespread stakeholder engagement: a combination of efforts by federal, state, and local governments, as well as automakers, dealers, utilities, hydrogen providers, electric infrastructure providers, builders, and others.”

The opposition also points out there is “no guarantee of affordability” [regarding new EVs], a potentially stark reality for many already burdened by the high cost of living in an already-expensive state. Not to mention, implementing such a move will take serious cash, requiring “an overhaul of fuel infrastructure, building codes and consumer demands,” according to CalMatters.

Additionally, as EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler points out, a statewide shift to EVs could add significant strain to an already-struggling electric grid.

“California’s record of rolling blackouts—unprecedented in size and scope—coupled with recent requests to neighboring states for power begs the question of how you expect to run an electric car fleet that will come with significant increases in electricity demand, when you can’t even keep the lights on today,” Wheeler wrote in a letter to Gov. Newsom on Monday.

Even environmentalists, who support the sentiment behind the move, claim it doesn’t go far enough by failing to address the larger framework of fracking and drilling.

“Newsom’s announcement provided rhetoric rather than real action on the other critical half of the climate problem—California’s dirty oil production. Newsom can’t claim climate leadership while handing out permits to oil companies to drill and frack,” added Kassie Siegel, Director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute.

It’s also worth noting California’s ban on gas cars comes on the heels of another lofty goal. The state wants 100% of its electricity from wind, solar, and other sources that don’t produce carbon dioxide by 2045. However, flaws in the state’s solar-power grid became blisteringly obvious during this summer’s record heatwave, which resulted in rolling outages and aggressive conservation efforts.

If the success of said law is any indication of the plan set forth to abolish gas-powered cars by 2035, then consider us skeptical.

2020 Beijing Auto Show

While Newsom’s outright ban on gas-powered cars may be a bit much, there is large-scale support for the electric movement. This week, many auto fans are relishing in the first major trade show for any industry since the pandemic began. The 2020 Beijing Auto Show began Saturday, September 26 and will run through Monday, October 5.

Unfortunately, because of China’s strict quarantine rules, international representation will be low and no global automakers will be debuting new product. However, there remains plenty of reasons to celebrate. The most important of which seems to be that the largest automobile market in the world is showing clear signs of a rebound.

Check out some of the highlights at 2020 The Beijing Auto Show, compliments of Bloomberg.

• The Hongqi S9 is a hybrid, combining a supercharged V8 with an electric engine that gives it 1,400-horsepower. Its top speed is around 400 kilometers per hour while it will go from 0 to 100kph in 1.9 seconds.
• The new BMW M4 and M3 sports cars feature a brand-new grille design up front. BMW China head Jochen Goller said that the company will release 17 new models in China this year.
• The Kiwigogo flying vehicle prototype by Xpeng Motors can carry two people and levitate at up to 25 meters. Vice Chairman Brian Gu said the flying car is a “very early, long-term exploration product.”
• Anning Chen, CEO of Ford China, presents a Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV. The five-door electric crossover SUV was introduced in November 2019 and is expected to go on sale in late 2020.
• The Honda SUV e: concept car is the second fully electric car from the company after the Honda e. According to the automaker, it will be the first electric vehicle they will introduce in China.
• People look at the Lynk & Co. Zero concept car. The luxury car by Geely’s premium brand has a glass roof that showcases a modern interior design. It’s expected to go into production in 2021 and have a range in excess of 700 kilometers (435 miles).
• The tire of the Citroen 1919 concept car includes sensors that relay wear and road conditions back into the computer. The car’s autonomous driving technology allows drivers to entirely delegate driving.

Other Trending Auto News

“Doubts remain over the durability of the recovery, but the focus (at least for now) is on bright spots such as strong demand for mid-sized to large luxury vehicles and a flood of interest—and investment—in electric vehicles,” reports Reuters.

Indeed, from the Volkswagen ID 4 debuting with 250-mile range and three years of free fast charging to Elon Musk teasing a $25k Tesla with full autonomy, certainly a lot is happening in the realm of electric.

Check out the video below for a complete breakdown of what went down on Tesla’s Battery Day, from future battery production to a potential entry-level cost model.

Those in search of a something a bit more capable—and traditional—may find it at Ford. The automaker heard fans’ pleas and announced the introduction of a Bronco Sasquatch package with a manual transmission.

“The Sasquatch package adds 35-inch Goodyear mud-terrain tires paired with 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels. ‘Squatching a Bronco also includes Dana front- and rear-locking axles, a suspension tweaked for higher ground clearance and Bilstein shocks. Broncos fitted with the Sasquatch package also boast a two-inch wider track and wider fender flares to complete the transformation. Even better news is the max crawl ratio, which sits at 94.75:1 with the seven-speed manual transmission and its dedicated crawl gear.” –CNET, Roadshow

Read more about what’s included in the Sasquatch package, as well as predicted pricing, HERE.

Whether you don a gas-powered spirit or a more futuristic style, the auto market is bouncing back. “The pace of U.S. auto sales is expected to rise 3.3% in September from the prior month, helped by strong consumer demand and the Labor Day holiday,” said industry consultants J.D. Power and LMC Automotive.