8 states are planning to BAN the sale of gas-powered cars entirely - after Biden unveiled ambitious plans to phase them out by 2032

At least eight states are planning to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars in the next decade - and others are considering joining them. 

Only zero-emission vehicles can be sold in participating states beginning from the 2035 model year, according to the Advanced Clean Cars II legislation. 

The rule, which was first adopted by California, means that automakers and dealerships would be banned from selling new gas cars in these states from that point onwards. 

Americans will not be forced to take their gas-powered cars off the road, however, and will still be able to buy used and secondhand gas vehicles.

These states have gone further than the latest federal legislation announced last week, where the Biden administration released new rules to gradually phase out gas cars by 2032.

At least eight states are planning to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars in the next decade - and others are considering joining them

The new federal legislation requires automakers to reduce the tailpipe emissions of new vehicles by around 50 percent from model year 2026 to 2032. 

In order to achieve this, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is targeting 35 percent to 56 percent of vehicles needing to be EVs by 2032, and 13 percent to 36 percent needing to be plug-in hybrids by that date. 

It was initially proposed that two thirds of all cars sold by 2030 would need to be EVs, but the brakes were put on that plan last week, giving a concession to carmakers and giving them more ways to comply. 

But carmakers will eventually stop making full gas-powered successors to the beloved muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s under Biden's new edict. 

For the time being though, Dodge announced earlier this month that the 2024 Charger will be available as a gas-powered muscle car as well as a new all-electric vehicle.

Carmakers will eventually stop making full gas-powered successors to the beloved muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s (Pictured: Steve McQueen in Bullitt)

According to personal finance site Money, California was the first state to adopt the Advanced Clean Cars II rule, which will put a complete ban to new sales of gas-powered cars by 2035. 

Plans in the state, which is run by governor Gavin Newsom, specify that 35 percent of all new car sales will need to be zero-emission by 2026, rising to 68 percent by 2030. 

Rhode Island was the most recent state to join the list of states pledging to ban the sale of gas-powered cars, joining Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington.

According to the site, the District of Columbia has also made the commitment. 

Other states have adopted versions of the legislation, but not yet pledged to ban gas-powered cars entirely by that date. 

For example, Delaware and Colorado last year finalized rules that would require 82 percent of new cars to be zero-emissions vehicles in 2032, but officials have not adopted 2035 bans. 

New Mexico, meanwhile, announced in July that it will set annual targets for the sale of zero-emission vehicles and may adopt parts of the Advanced Clean Cars II legislation. But it has not yet endorsed the 2035 ban.

California was the first state to adopt the Advanced Clean Cars II rule (pictured: California Governor Gavin Newsom)

The Biden administration released new rules to gradually phase out gas cars by 2032 last week

As states come out with new plans to ban the sale of gas-powered cars after a certain point, the idea is to pressure automakers to speed up their production of electric and hybrid vehicles. 

According to Kelley Blue Book, EVs made up 7.6 percent of new car sales in 2023. 

Although this is up from 3.2 percent in 2021, there is a clear disparity across the country as to who is switching to electric cars. 

Data earlier this year revealed how Americans in some areas are buying more than 10 times as many electric vehicles than in others.

The West Coast - and particularly California - continued to dominate the market last year, according to figures from market research firm S&P Global Mobility.

But other places, including the so-called 'Motor City' Detroit - the nation's auto capital - have barely any residents buying electric cars.

However some major carmakers are ramping up production of electric cars. General Motors, for example, expects to have completed a full transition to electric vehicle sales by 2035.

In San Jose, almost 40 percent of new car registrations last year were electric - the most of any major metro area. In Detroit, however, just 3 percent of registrations were for EVs. 

But hybrid cars are being snapped up three times as quickly off dealer lots than electric cars, separate data has revealed. 

Take-up of electric cars has stalled in many parts of America - with just 3 percent of new sales an EV in some states 

Americans in some areas are buying more than 10 times as many electric vehicles as in others, new data has revealed

According to research site Edmunds, the vehicles are also now selling twice as quickly as gas cars and three times as quickly as electric cars

And the latest federal rules unveiled by the Biden administration last week have given hybrid cars a greater part to play in helping cut tailpipe emissions. 

According to research site Edmunds, hybrid vehicles are also now selling twice as quickly as gas cars.

A traditional hybrid vehicle has a gas-powered internal combustion engine and an electric motor - a battery - that both work in tandem to run the car.

Last month, hybrids typically flew off dealer lots within 25 days, Edmunds found, while electric vehicles took an average of 72 days. Gas-powered cars, meanwhile, typically sold after 52 days.

Hybrid vehicles overtook fully electric and gas cars to lead the way in this year's closely-watched Consumer Reports' top car rankings.