California to phase out gas-powered cars by 2035

California regulators have voted to approve a first-of-its-kind rule that would ban the sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035.

California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed the 2035 ban two years ago with an executive order that directed California Air Resources Board (CARB) and others to determine how to implement the plan, Xinhua news agency reported.

The new rule requires automakers to hit milestones along the way. By 2026, 35 per cent of new cars in California must be zero-emission vehicles, and the quota will rise to 68 per cent by 2030, and 100 per cent in 2035.

The rules would not impact used vehicles, allowing them to stay on the roads. The rules will not be immediate, and will go into effect in 2026, said CARB member Daniel Sperling.

"The climate crisis is solvable if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to stem the tide of carbon pollution," Newsom said on Wednesday.

Multiple states are expected to follow suit. Already, 15 states including Colorado and Minnesota, as well as states on the Northeast and West Coast, followed California's previous zero-emission vehicle regulations, said a report of CNN.