People in auto industry worry about their future after announcement to ban new gas-powered cars by 2035
SALINAS, Calif. (KION)
In Salinas people in the auto industry realized sooner or later the switch towards electric cars was going to be the future. However, they worry Governor Gavin Newsom's 2035 deadline to stop new gas-powered car sales may be unrealistic.
"The auto industry is going to change completely because their not going to have any more gas-powered engines," said Howard Cauntay, owner of All American Muffler in Salinas. "You have a whole assembly line of people, which are going to be gone."
According to Newsom, researchers say the change and efforts to reduce carbon emissions can't come soon enough because California is already feeling the impacts of climate change with raging wildfires.
At a recent briefing, leaders with the California Natural Resources Agency said the state is seeing a warming trend that wont be solved with just vegetation management.
One of the biggest way to reduce green house emissions is through cleaner transportation, a sector which the Newsom said in a news conference has actually seen a growth in fuel emissions.
The California Air Resources Board says vehicles are responsible for more than half of all of state's greenhouse gas emissions.
"I think it would be kind of silly to deny that there is a change in the climate just given the facts," said Elizabeth Valles who was fueling up her car with gas on Wednesday.
Still even those in the auto industry who agree with the urgency to fight climate change, worry about all the jobs that will be obsolete. For example, the traditional auto mechanic.
"Eventually it's going to affect them or probably cause a lot of people to go out of business as well or have to adapt to the new systems, said Damian Perez, Franks Auto Sales. Perez said he questions why the state could not keep hybrid cars, he just purchased one.
Electric car owners like Nikhil Gera from the bay area who was stopping by the Harden Ranch Plaza in Salinas to charge his Tesla at a charging station says he has owned two electric cars since 2014. He says he purchased the car because its environmentally friendly and says people will soon adapt just like they have to smart phones, relying on chargers and powering overnight.
"The change is coming. There's no question about it as these cars become cheaper and as the battery life improves, said Gera.
Only many are still questioning if this was the right change and what impacts it will have on the state's power grid. also why alternative fuels weren't an option for Californians.
What didn't seem clear to people was that the executive order aims to phase out gas-powered cars and doesn't' making owning one illegal in 15 years. People will still be able to own and even resell them.
