Dec. 31, 2020 1:56 pm ET First, California banned the sale of gas-powered cars after the year 2035. Then it got car companies to sign on to its own tough emission standards. Itâs obvious whatâs next, isnât it? California will become the first state to mandate that by 2035, cars must cease to be visually interchangeable. âYouâve got the Accord that looks like the Camry that looks like the Sonata, and this just has to stop,â says a high-ranking state official. âItâs incredibly boring to get on the 101 and drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco and maybe see three cars that donât look like every other car. And it makes it harder to catch speeders, because all the cars look the same.â