Poll finds Californians oppose reported 2035 gasoline-vehicle sales ban tied to Gavin Newsom executive action

A New York Post report says Californians oppose a California plan to restrict the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles, citing results from a poll it characterized as showing broad public resistance to a deadline of 2035. The report centers on a 2020 executive action attributed to Gov. Gavin Newsom and frames the policy as a ban on the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035, with the outlet reporting that nearly 66% of adults and likely voters oppose the measure.

The outlet’s account links the gasoline-vehicle sales deadline to an executive action signed by Newsom in 2020. However, Apex has not found an official White House or Federal Register record confirming the existence, text, or legal form of the specific 2020 executive action described in the report, and the story therefore relies on the New York Post’s description for that central detail.

According to the same report, the opposition is measured among both adults and likely voters, with the poll results described as “nearly 66%” against the gasoline-vehicle sales restriction. The report presents the figure as evidence that the policy faces political headwinds in California rather than support from a majority of likely voters.

While the underlying policy question is whether California should restrict the sale of particular types of vehicles, the reported dispute is also about how executive authority is used to set long-term regulatory deadlines. Because Apex has not confirmed the specific executive instrument through official documentation, the legal status and implementation pathway described in the report cannot be independently verified from the material provided.

Supporters and opponents of vehicle-emissions regulations often diverge on how the rules would affect consumers and businesses, including questions of timing, compliance burdens, and the costs tied to enforcement and market changes. In this case, the report’s focus is the reported sales ban deadline of 2035 and what it indicates for public acceptance of far-reaching regulatory change.

The reported opposition figure comes amid heightened political scrutiny of government efforts to accelerate vehicle electrification and related regulatory efforts. With Apex unable to verify the referenced executive action through the required official channels, next steps for factual confirmation would include locating the text of the 2020 Newsom action and determining how it translates into enforceable rules governing vehicle sales.

As additional information becomes available from official California records and primary documentation, it would clarify whether the 2035 restriction is implemented through executive authority, subsequent agency rulemaking, or another legal mechanism, and would also establish what parts of the policy are enforceable and when.