First Cowboy State to Prohibit ‘Impractical’ Electric Car Sales in Protest of Phaseout of Gas Vehicles

According to a Wyoming state senator, a mostly symbolic resolution that seeks to outlaw the sale of new EVs by 2035 would amount to the legislature stating, "If you don't like our petroleum automobiles, well, we don't like your electric cars." According to the legislators of the state, the action is intended to fend off the federal government's mandate for EV adoption and safeguard the regional fossil fuel industry. As a response to resolutions in states like California that restrict vehicles with internal combustion engines in the same timeframe, Wyoming has become the first state to outright ban new EV sales by 2035. The justification provided by the local lawmakers who introduced the bill is that it is intended to safeguard the region's fossil fuel industry and to delay the adoption of electrified transportation due to a lack of infrastructure for charging and environmental concerns. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Photo Credit: WBUR[/caption] Jim Anderson and Brian Boner, both Republican state senators, are the main sponsors of the so-called "Phasing Out New Electric Vehicle Sales By 2035" initiative. As the draft adds environmental issues to the other justifications for phasing out the sales of new electric cars, like protecting jobs in the oil and gas industry, Anderson said, "The Legislature would be saying, 'If you don't like our petroleum automobiles, well, we don't like your electric cars" Municipal landfills in Wyoming and elsewhere will need to create procedures to dispose of these minerals in a safe and responsible manner because the essential minerals used in electric batteries are not easily recyclable or disposable. The resolution claims that gas-powered vehicles continue to be essential for the transportation of people and products in the state while electric vehicles are "impractical" without a comprehensive charging infrastructure, which is currently lacking in the Cowboy State. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Photo Credit: Bloomberg.com[/caption] Senator Brian Boner, one of the bill's supporters, acknowledged that the action is mostly symbolic but said he is willing to take a position in order to promote discussion on the viability of phasing out ICE automobiles by 2035. "I'm concerned with ensuring that the proposed solutions to the alleged climate crisis are workable in the real world. When other states try to impose unprepared technology, I just don't like it "Senator Boner tacked on.