New Mexico’s Democratic Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, has issued an executive directive on Monday, mandating that all state government departments shift to a fully electric vehicle fleet by 2035. Lujan Grisham made this announcement during her speech at the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s Symposium on the Future of Transportation.
Additionally, she mentioned her administration’s intentions to enhance tax incentives for electric vehicles, aiming to make them more affordable. This executive order compelling state agencies to embrace emission-free vehicle fleets aligns with Lujan Grisham’s ongoing efforts to promote electric vehicle mandates across the state.
The executive directive specifically instructs all departments and agencies to acquire electric vehicles (EVs) for all their new vehicle purchases. However, it does offer exceptions for law enforcement vehicles, firefighting trucks, and other heavy-duty vehicles.
Earlier this year, Lujan Grisham introduced what are known as Clean Car regulations, which require automakers to provide an expanding proportion of new, emission-free cars and light-duty trucks for sale in New Mexico each year, starting in 2026.
For instance, in 2026, vehicles from the model year 2027 must consist of 43% zero-emission vehicles, and this percentage progressively increases until 2031, when 82% of model year 2032 cars sold in the state must be emission-free.
“These rules will speed up much-needed investment in New Mexico’s electric vehicle and clean hydrogen fueling infrastructure, create new job opportunities and, most importantly, result in cleaner and healthier air for all New Mexicans to breathe,” the governor stated.
New Mexico’s endeavor to promote the adoption of electric vehicles in the coming decade is part of a larger nationwide initiative.
The federal government has implemented stringent regulations on tailpipe emissions and fuel efficiency standards, which analysts anticipate will lead to increased prices for conventional gasoline-powered vehicles in the coming years. In 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency reinstated California’s ability, under the Clean Air Act, to establish its own emission standards. This action led to California imposing an electric vehicle mandate for 2035, a step that several other states have also adopted.
