After California, New York moves to ban new gas vehicles by 2035

After signing legislation last year, Hochul announced officials were putting their "foot down on the accelerator" after having been required due to a federal law to wait for California to pass its own legislation.

California ruled in August that an ever-increasing percentage of new cars sold to the state's 40 million inhabitants must produce no tailpipe pollutants, until their total ban in 2035.

Following that decision, Hochul directed New York authorities to move on regulatory steps to ensure all new passenger cars, pickup trucks and SUVs sold in the state are zero emissions by 2035.

The directive sets interim targets of 35 percent of sales by 2026 and 68 percent by 2030.

"We actually have benchmarks to achieve to show we're on the path to get there," Hochul said in a speech in the city of White Plains.

The regulations will also gradually tighten emissions standards for vehicles with internal combustion engines.

To offset costs of EVs, Hochul announced further funding for a rebate program for purchasers and touted advances in the state's charging infrastructure.

The state is also due to receive $175 million from the federal government for its charging network.

California and New York join jurisdictions around the world that have set their sights on the polluting automobile sector to combat climate change in recent years.