Gut punch for Gavin Newsom as overwhelming poll shows Californians loathe climate policy

Californians are pumping the brakes on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars, with a new statewide poll showing the governor’s marquee climate policy has become a political headache.

The survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found nearly two-thirds of Californians oppose Newsom’s 2035 gas-car mandate.

Among likely voters, 65% said they oppose the plan, while just 34% support it.

Opposition is even stronger among infrequent voters, signaling the governor faces broad resistance as he pushes one of his most aggressive climate initiatives.

The findings mark a dramatic turnaround from 2021, when Californians were evenly split over the proposal.

Since then, opposition has jumped 17 percentage points as soaring living costs and energy prices have taken center stage.

Even support within Newsom’s own party is slipping.

Democratic backing has fallen from 55% in 2025 to an almost even split, with 50% supporting the mandate and 49% opposing it.

Republicans remain overwhelmingly against the policy, with 91% rejecting it.

Newsom signed the executive order in 2020, arguing that ending sales of new fossil fuel-powered passenger vehicles beginning in 2035 would help slash greenhouse gas emissions.

But for many Californians, the cost of making the switch appears to outweigh the environmental pitch.

Electric vehicles generally carry higher price tags than gas-powered models, and many drivers remain wary of depending on charging stations for longer trips, where recharging can take around 40 minutes if a charger is available.

“Electricity is not cheap. It often depends on the time of day,” PPIC Polling Director Mark Baldassare said.

“Two things are going on in California now,” Baldassare told The Press Democrat. “People have their long-standing concerns about the environment. But they also have immediate concerns about affordability.

“When it comes to what people are willing to do, they’re worried about living costs and particularly the cost of energy. It’s something we’ve noticed even more this year. It affects the political and economic landscape.”

Despite the growing backlash, Newsom and state lawmakers recently approved $135 million in incentives aimed at boosting electric vehicle sales.

The program offers first-time buyers a $3,500 rebate on qualifying new EVs priced at $50,000 or less, while eligible used electric vehicles qualify for a $1,750 rebate.

Automakers are expected to cover half the cost of the incentive program, though questions remain over whether those expenses could ultimately be passed on to consumers through higher vehicle prices.

The state incentives come after the previous $7,500 federal tax credit for new electric vehicles expired last year after President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress allowed it to lapse.

California still leads the nation in EV ownership, with roughly 1.3 million registered electric vehicles, including thousands of new purchases in Sonoma and Napa counties over the past two years.

Even so, the poll suggests many residents remain unconvinced the state is prepared for a full transition.

Respondents were twice as likely to say they lack confidence that California will build enough charging stations as they were to express confidence.

The California Energy Commission reported in January that the state has more than 200,000 public and shared private charging stations and about 800,000 home chargers, with additional highway charging infrastructure planned.

The survey also revealed that Californians continue to back many of the state’s broader climate goals.

Wildfires and global warming remain leading environmental concerns, and nearly two-thirds support California’s target of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.

Strong majorities also favor taxing corporations based on carbon emissions and requiring renewable electricity by 2045.

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