FACT CHECK: Did Wyoming Ban Electric Vehicles?

Joseph Casieri | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook purports Wyoming has passed a bill that seeks to ban the sale of all electric vehicles in the state by 2035.

Verdict: Misleading

The caption is inaccurate. While a bill was introduced that contained such a permission, it was not enacted into law.

Fact Check:

Former President Donald Trump criticized electric cars during a speech in South Carolina, in which Republican Gov. Henry McMaster recently signed Executive Order 2022-31 in an effort to bring more electric vehicle business to the state, Rolling Stone reported. The Anderson Economic Group has reported that filling a car with fuel was about $3 less than charging an electric vehicle (EV) at a fuel station at the end of last year, according to Fox Business.

The Facebook post alleges that Wyoming state legislators have passed a bill that bans EVs. The post features text on a blue background with no reference to a specific bill or law. “Way to go Wyoming,” the post reads. “Banning Sales of all elec. cars by 2035.”

There is no credible news report that suggests that Wyoming has instituted this ban. A bill was introduced to the State Legislature that contained this provision, however it did not pass.

The final provision in the bill calls for copies of the bill to be sent to the President of the United States and the Governor of California for their consideration. (RELATED: No, A Kill Switch Will Not Be A Mandatory Car Feature In 2026)

State Sen. Ed Cooper, a cosponsor of the bill, later said the bill was meant as a response to other states planning to ban gas-powered vehicles. “I think the thought of an electric vehicle ban is truly completely ludicrous,” he told The Hill. “But it’s no more ludicrous than a ban on gasoline powered vehicles.”

“Senate Joint Resolution 0004 was not passed out of committee due to a lack of motion on January 16, so it appears the resolution is unlikely to move forward in the legislative process,” a spokesperson for the Wyoming Legislative Service Office told Check Your Fact in an email.

A spokesperson for Republican Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon’s office also told Check Your Fact via email that the resolution was “effectively dead,” though it would have no impact if it were passed.

This is not the first time misinformation about a state legislature has circulated online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim the Biden administration plans to ban gas stoves.

UPDATE: The article has been updated with quotes from the Wyoming Legislative Service Office and the office of the Governor.

Joseph Casieri

Fact Check Reporter

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