Wyoming politicians draft bill to end EV sales by 2035

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There’s a general movement in much of the world at the moment away from the internal-combustion engine and toward battery-electric vehicles. Canada has mandated that 20 per cent of new vehicles sold in the country be zero-emission by 2026; and 100 per cent of them be so by 2035. That lines up with similar goals set in the U.S. by states like California and New York. But not everybody is on board. 

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Lawmakers in Wyoming recently proposed a short bill clearly aimed at ruffling the feathers of the country’s EV warriors. The bill, Senate Joint Resolution 4, was introduced Friday with support from members of the state’s House of Representatives and Senate, and with the stated purpose of “phasing out new electric vehicle sales by 2035.” Leave it to the cowboy state of Wyoming to buck the trend completely. 

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The top reason why EVs should evaporate from the state was listed as loyalty to the oil and gas industry that had “created countless jobs and has contributed revenues to the state of Wyoming throughout the state’s history” and “enabled the state’s industries and businesses to engage in commerce and transport goods and resources more efficiently throughout the country.”

Electric vehicles, on the other hand, are out of their element in the wilds of Wyoming, according to the document’s authors. “Wyoming’s vast stretches of highway, coupled with a lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, make the widespread use of electric vehicles impracticable for the state,” the bill reads. It also lists power generation, battery production disruption, and battery recycling as other issues plaguing the EV sector. 

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The bill’s tone, length, and the fact that it dictates the document be sent to a bunch of pro-EV politicians across the country – including President Biden and the governor of California, should it be approved – are clear indicators that it isn’t that serious. It’s a joke meant to draw attention to an issue frustrating politicians and people in some off-the-beaten-path locations, that electric vehicles may make sense in bigger cities, but that how they will fare in colder, harsher climates with more mountains and fewer charging stations is not so clear-cut.

Some Canadians may be asking the same question.