Photo courtesy of Joshua Houdek
This blog was originally published on the North Star chapter blog.
Buying a car can be a complicated process, and your vehicle is an important investment. When Sarah and Lucas went shopping for a zero-emission electric car this summer, they found it especially challenging. There were very few electric vehicles (EVs) to choose from on Minnesota dealers’ lots, and they even considered ordering a car from out of state. “We were really surprised, especially living in the middle of the metro (Minneapolis-St. Paul), that we couldn’t find what we were looking for,” they said. “We need more clean ways to get where we need to go.”
For many families across Minnesota and nearby states who want to save money, reduce climate pollution, and do their part to help clean the air, the new Clean Cars Minnesota program will help. This week, Minnesota officially became the 15th clean car state in the nation (plus the District of Columbia), and the first in the Midwest. The clean car standards will require new cars and light trucks sold in the state to emit less climate-disrupting pollution. The standards will also increase the availability and sales of zero-emission cars.
“The success of Clean Cars Minnesota was a direct result of tens of thousands of people showing up in support of Minnesota leading the way in the Midwest on this important policy that will help us act on climate and clean up our air," said Margaret Levin, director of the Sierra Club’s North Star Chapter.
It was a 670-day journey to reach this landmark accomplishment. Sierra Club staff and volunteers from the local chapter and the national Clean Transportation for All campaign helped lead the charge as members of several coalitions, including Minnesotans for Clean Cars and the Coalition for Clean Transportation.
We’re proud to be the first state in the Midwest to sign onto these standards but there is still much more to do to expand clean transportation options for all Minnesotans; things like building more public transit and making it safer to bike and walk. But this is a significant step forward.