Part 2/10:
California's reliance on a 59-cent-per-gallon gas tax, the highest in the nation, currently covers about 80% of the state's road maintenance costs. However, the state's aggressive push toward electric vehicles—mandated to reach 15 million by 2035—threatens to eliminate a significant revenue source, as EVs do not pay gas taxes.
Governor Gavin Newsome's executive order requiring all new passenger vehicles sold after 2035 to be zero-emission promises a cleaner environment but complicates infrastructure funding. The transition toward EVs is anticipated to decrease income from traditional fuel taxes, forcing California to explore alternative revenue models, such as the proposed per-mile road charge.