LOS ANGELES, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- State regulators in California Friday approved rules that will require automakers to expand production of vehicles that emit less greenhouse gas.
The Air Resources Board approved rules that would require the production of increasing numbers of zero-emission and very-low-emission vehicles, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Electric battery, hydrogen fuel cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles would have to roll of the assembly lines by 2018 under the rules, the newspaper said.
More than 14 percent of new vehicles would have to be "ultra-clean" by 2025.
"Today's vote … represents a new chapter for clean cars in California and in the nation as a whole," said board Chairwoman Mary Nichols.
"The fact that we are going to change what consumers can buy is one of the most important things we can do," board member Ken Yeager said before the board' voted 9-0 to approve the rule.
