On Friday, a group of Republican lawmakers in the Wyoming legislature introduced a bill to ban the sale of all electric vehicles within the state by the year 2035.
As reported by The Hill, the bill was sponsored by six lawmakers, who argued that the selling of electric vehicles would negatively impact the oil and gas industry, a major fixture of Wyoming’s economy, and thus would end up harming Wyoming’s ability to trade with other states. The bill would see the state government openly discourage citizens from buying such vehicles ahead of the formal ban in 2035.
“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 and the ability for the country to efficiently engage in commerce,” the bill reads in part.
In order to “sustain the misadventure of electric vehicles,” the bill continues, the state would have to implement a “massive” number of electric vehicle charging stations, which have proven costly and sometimes inefficient.
The bill is a response to some Democrat-led states introducing opposite legislation calling for the banning of all gas-powered vehicles by certain deadlines, including California and New York.
Advocates for electric vehicles have repeatedly claimed, with no evidence, that gas-powered vehicles are contributing to global warming, and believe that electric vehicles can accomplish just as much with less pollution. However, electric vehicles have proven to be ineffective at times, particularly in colder weather that drains the battery faster and prevents the cars from recharging. Attempts to carry heavy loads with electric vehicle trucks have also seen the vehicles’ projected distances decreased significantly due to the extra weight.