California's gas car sale ban could cost taxpayers up to $20 billion, study shows – Bakersfield Now

An upcoming California ban on the sale of gas-powered cars could cost taxpayers as much as $20 billion, according to research from the University of California, Berkeley.

The state has set itself the ambitious goal of making 100% of all passenger vehicles sold be electric by 2035. This goal will place substantial demand on the state’s electric grid, researchers wrote, and will require significant upgrades to be made feasible.

Increased EV charging demand in California has already begun to overwhelm the capacity of its feeders, which deliver power to consumers after it is taken from high to low voltage. A majority of the state’s feeders will become overloaded by 2045, with remaining feeders being “very close” to overloading, study authors wrote.

To accommodate this, the state must invest heavily in its electric grid, the study reads. Such rapid growth could mean taxpayers will be held responsible for fronting the bill.

“The range of circuit upgrade costs is quite broad, with the total cost by 2045 ranging from $6 billion to $20 billion,” the study says. “While electricity price may decrease, the overall bill of all consumers will still increase due to the growth of total electricity consumption, which will make up for the total upgrade costs.”

Those who want to charge their vehicles at home may also incur a high cost. Researchers estimated home-charging feeders will require up to $12.9 billion in upgrades, while public-charging feeders could see upgrade costs up to $7.1 billion.

The findings coincide with recent research showing fewer Americans are demonstrating interest in purchasing an electric vehicle. A new Gallup poll shows the share of Americans who own an electric vehicle in 2024 is 7%, a marked improvement over last year’s 4%. However, the number of those who are seriously considering an EV purchase decreased along similar margins in that time frame from 12% to 9%.

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