US carmakers are preparing for the possibility that some regions may eventually outlaw the internal combustion engine.
Britta Gross is with General Motors. She says more than a dozen cities, countries, and the state of California are talking about a phase-out of gas or diesel cars and trucks.“So, we’re talking some of the 2050, some of them 2040. Some of them more near-term. Some are not getting any traction. But it’s something that’s out there on the horizon. It’s a conversation that some communities are having,” Gross said.
Gross says it would be short-sighted for carmakers to ignore that. She says car companies need to develop electric, autonomous vehicles that are affordable and profitable.
She says states and local governments need to help create the network of charging stations that will be needed for electric vehicles.
She testified Tuesday before the state House Energy Policy Committee.