Can Republicans Really Ban Electric Cars?

A group of Republican lawmakers in Wyoming is looking to ban sales of new electric vehicles (EVs) by 2035. Wyoming's state legislature is GOP-heavy, so passing the bill should be a matter of procedure—but how likely is it to actually happen?

The least populous state is so far alone in its intention and is going against the grain; Oregon and Washington followed in the footsteps of California in December in banning sales of new emitting vehicles from 2035.

On the East Coast, Massachusetts has also mandated that all new cars sold in the state must be emissions-free by 2035, and New York has made similar provisions for passenger cars and trucks, with medium- and heavy-duty vehicles following suit in 2045.

The joint resolution, introduced to Wyoming's state senate on January 13, argues the move will protect the state's huge fossil-fuels industry as other U.S. states move towards electric-only vehicles. Jim Anderson, the state senator who brought the bill, told Newsweek the same day: "We need to support our industries."

According to the bill, "the proliferation of electric vehicles at the expense of gas-powered vehicles will have deleterious impacts on Wyoming's communities and will be detrimental to Wyoming's economy."

Wyoming produces 13 times more energy than it consumes, making it the second-biggest supplier to other states after Texas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The state is the largest coal producer, the eighth-largest in terms of crude oil, and the ninth-largest natural gas producer.

The bill argues that imposing the infrastructure needed for EVs in Wyoming would be "impracticable," and that it would require "massive amounts of new power generation in order to sustain the misadventure."

Fossil fuels, Anderson believes, will be necessary to support the industry.

In July 2022, 79 percent of Wyoming's electricity supply came from coal-fired power plants, 12 percent from wind energy and 4 percent from natural gas, according to EIA figures, so while the state is not averse to renewables, its fossil-fuels sector would likely benefit from higher electricity consumption brought on by widespread EV usage.

Of Wyoming's 62 state representatives, 57 are Republican, while in the Senate they occupy 28 of its 30 seats, making the likelihood of the bill passing higher.

But some feel that even if the bill does not pass, it is likely to serve to promote Anderson's argument. "I think it does give the conversation momentum," Chris Rothfuss, Wyoming senate minority leader, told Newsweek.

Even those putting it forward recognize that its intention is largely a symbolic one.

"One might even say tongue-in-cheek, but obviously it's a very serious issue that deserves some public discussion," Brian Boner, one of the state senators co-sponsoring the bill, told Cowboy State Daily. "I just don't appreciate when other states try to force technology that isn't ready."

"The Legislature would be saying: 'If you don't like our petroleum cars, well, we don't like your electric cars,'" Anderson said.

Perhaps tellingly, the final clause of the bill stipulates a copy be sent to Gavin Newsom, the Californian governor who brought in his state's ban in 2022.

So while Republicans are looking to ban EVs in Wyoming, how likely that ban is of being enforced seems more academic. Though if the resolution does pass, we may have to wait until 2035 to see if police cars start pulling up on car dealers' forecourts.