Electric cars are seen as a symbol of the future, but that future is quite closer than we know. In recent years there has been much debate about electric cars and gas powered cars, specifically if we should change from gas to electric.

Obviously, electric cars are better for the environment, since they generate a less drastic amount of fossil fuels compared to gas cars. In a recent study, electric powered cars on average produce 60 to 80 percent lower than gas vehicles, which is less than half the amount of emissions gas cars produce.

Although, as of recent news, the government has mandated making the change from gas to electric quicker than we think. By the year 2035 were required to have electric or hydrogen powered cars, this was made by California.

Why does California get to create this mandate and not other states? The Clean Air Act of 1970 allowed California to set its own environmental rules, and allowing states to choose whether or not if they want to adopt them or not. California decided that they plan to ban sales of new gas cars by 2035.

Many people believe this plan is inaccessible to them due to the cost of the car, on average an electric car cost $65,291. Scott Lambert, the trade group’s president states that electric cars won’t work well in cold weather “The technology is such that the vehicles just don’t perform that well in cold weather… We don’t all live in southern California.”

People also believe having an electric car in New York is impractical being that the city is already very expensive. One state that plans to accommodate their citizens is Minnesota, they plan to to lower costs and increase choices so people can drive whatever vehicle is suitable to them.

Just as the US is planning to have electric cars by the year 2035 so is Europe. Back in June, the European Parliament was in favor of a plan to ban gas and diesel cars in the 27-nation European Union by the year, 2035. Along with Europe, Canada has mandated the sale of zero-emission cars by 2035.

Vehicle auto makers will progressively make more and more electric vehicles starting at 35% in 2026 and slowly going up to 100% by 2035. In the coming years we will see a rise in electric cars, but we’ll leave less of a carbon footprint. But as of right now we’ll wait and see the upcoming rise of electric cars and demise of gas powered cars.