Gavin Newsom defends gas car ban opposed by huge majority of Californians

Californians aren’t on board with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035 — but the governor doubled down on the mandate Friday, suggesting that punishing gas prices in California could incentivize more residents to consider EVs.

A recent poll revealed that nearly 66% of adults and likely voters oppose Newsom’s executive order, signed in 2020, that’s intended to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035.

The skepticism wasn’t limited to conservatives, either: Half of all Democrats disapproved of the gas car ban in the poll, conducted from June 29 to July 6, as cash-strapped voters have increasingly soured on California’s costly climate agenda.

“Well, it’s a process that’s unfolding, and … over the next decade, there’ll be a lot of fits and starts, and I imagine a lot more people are interested in this space than they were a year ago,” Newsom said in Oakland.

The governor unveiled new “instant rebates” for electric vehicles at a press conference in the East Bay city, offering first-time buyers $3,500 off a new vehicle or a $1,750 discount for a used car as the state tries again to incentivize sales of EVs.

The discounts are funded by $135.5 million in state money alongside matching funds from participating automakers, which include Hyundai, Lucid, and Tesla.

Making a splashy entrance in the front seat of a Ford EV, the governor presented an oversized $3,500 check to a California resident who said the funds would help him buy an EV and also took shots at President Donald Trump, who has sought to unwind the Golden State’s climate goals.

“While Donald Trump is hellbent on burning more expensive fossil fuels and raising costs for Americans, California is proving there’s a better way,” Newsom said.

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Newsom signed in 2020 a mandate to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, which Trump and Republicans in Congress have since attempted to undo by chipping away at various federal waivers that make the policy possible.

The governor and likely presidential candidate shrugged at the public disapproval of the gas car ban.

“So more and more people, I imagine if you polled them today, they have a very different opinion than they did even a few months ago,” Newsom said.

“I think it’s good public policy,” he said.

The state funding comes from California’s smog abatement fees and cap-and-invest program, which sets limits on emissions and allows industries to purchase emission credits.

The cap-and-invest program, formerly called cap-and-trade, generates roughly $7 billion to $8 billion annually, according to Net-Zero California, with proceeds used to fund climate projects.

The program has been criticized for worsening California’s highest-in-the-nation gas prices, however.

Cap-and-invest added 23 cents to a typical $5.95 gallon of gas as of May 2026, according to the California Energy Commission.

Ford, Rivian, Chevrolet and Kia are slated to join the rebate program this month, followed by Toyota, Lexus, Honda and Subaru in September and Mitsubishi in November. 

Nissan and Volvo are still determining when they will launch the program, according to the governor’s office.