The government of California is considering a draft bill that envisions full electrification of all autonomous vehicles in the state since 2025. The document proposing a ban on self-driving ICE cars was first submitted in early 2021, but has gained much more support since then.
The authorities said before that ICE cars would be banned statewide starting from 2035, but commercial transports would be exempt from this law due to its range and cost efficiency requirements. Enforcing the law early would hurt the commercial sector the most.
According to the proposed bill, corporate clients – mostly delivery and taxi services – will be able to acquire EVs for their fleets in a priority fashion. Autonomous EV startups like Cruise and Nuro have already voiced their support of it.
Even so, this change of legislation has more opponents than proponents. Many critics point out that hybrids consume much less power, especially considering that electric taxis need to keep their air conditioners, navigation software and infotainment systems running from the main battery, which also hurts range.