Statement: Victory! Washington adopts Zero Emission Vehicle program

Environment Washington

SEATTLE — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee today signed the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program into law. The move takes aim at reducing ozone pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and makes Washington the 12th state to adopt the ZEV program. With this new law, Washington joins the entire West Coast as part of this critical program to get more electric cars on the road. 

Under ZEV, the Evergreen State will deploy hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles over the next decade. The program also requires each automaker to ensure an increasingly larger percent of the new cars they send to Washington are electric-powered. 

Speeding up Washington’s transition to cleaner, electric-powered vehicles is essential for reducing air pollution and slowing global warming, because transportation accounts for 62 percent of the state’s contribution to climate change.

Pam Clough, interim director for Environment Washington, issued the following statement: 

“With this new law, Washington is taking an essential step in the fight against climate change. Achieving an economy powered by 100 percent renewable energy means ending the use of fossil fuels for all activities, not just electricity. Although there are many strategies for reducing transportation fossil fuel use – such as encouraging public transportation, walking and biking, and limiting sprawl – as long as Americans continue driving cars and trucks, adopting electric vehicles is a necessity. With Washington’s commitment to 100 percent renewable energy, these cars can be powered by the sun and the wind.”