While many states, and the rest of the world, ushers in the era of electric vehicles, the state of Wyoming is moving in the opposite direction by introducing legislation that will ban the sale of new electric vehicles by 2035.
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Jim Anderson, a Republican. He explained the resolution was meant to push back against bans on the sales of new ICEs in some states, including California and New York.
The bill is titled “Phasing Out New Electric Vehicle Sales By 2035” and has garnered support from the state’s House of Representatives and Senate.
Looking into the bill in more detail, however, it appears it may be nothing more than symbolic. It is asking the legislature to “encourage” Wyoming’s citizens and businesses to limit the sale and purchase of new EVs to phase them out by 2035.
Wyoming is a state heavily into fossil fuel and is the eighth largest oil producer in the US. Therefore, it is not surprising that this type of sentiment comes from there. The bill points out that thousands of Wyoming residents work in the oil industry, and the emergence of EVs threatens their source of income.
The bill also includes the expected doomsday predictions about EVs. It mentions that EV batteries are not easily recyclable or disposable, “meaning that municipal landfills in Wyoming and elsewhere will be required to develop practices to dispose of these minerals in a safe and responsible manner.”
The claim about EV battery recycling is, of course, not valid. Companies like Redwood Materials, Li-Cycle, and Lithion Recycling are actively reintroducing old EV battery materials into the supply chain through recycling.
