EXPLAINER: California EV requirements face some obstacles

DETROIT (AP) — California will require all new cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the state to run on electricity or hydrogen by 2035 in an ambitious move away from gasoline-powered vehicles and the pollution they emit.

The requirements come in phases starting in 2026, and it will take 13 years for them become fully effective. But there are many challenges to meeting them.

EVs now cost substantially more than gas-powered vehicles. There are shortages of precious metals needed for their batteries. The U.S. has little battery manufacturing capacity.

But a lot can change in 13 years. Here's what we know about the problem areas and what's being done about them:

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WILL AUTOMAKERS BE ABLE TO MAKE ENOUGH ELECTRIC VEHICLES?

More than likely. During the first half of this year, electric vehicle sales accounted for about 15% of California's new vehicle market. New vehicle sales in the state normally run around 2 million per year. That's roughly a 1.5 million difference that has to be made up by 2035. But almost every day, automakers are announcing new EV models, battery factories and assembly plants. Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Hyundai-Kia, Stellantis and VinFast have announced plans for 10 U.S. battery plants.

“New plants are coming in and old plants are being converted," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions. “The plans are in place for a large amount of vehicles being ready for the U.S. and global markets.”

The big ifs, though, are whether there will be enough precious metals, such as lithium, to make the batteries, and whether EV prices will come down quickly enough. Laurie Holmes, senior manager of government affairs for Kia, told California officials Thursday that the industry could have difficulty meeting sales targets. She urged the state to support...