The latest on the federal government’s battle with California’s EV mandate
President Trump has signed congressional resolutions overturning California’s ability to mandate electric vehicle (EV) sales and establish its tailpipe and emissions standards via a federal waiver. Trump’s resolutions immediately halt California’s 2035 ban on new gas-powered car sales—a plan adopted by 11 states and Washington, D.C. In total, 17 other states representing 30% of the U.S. auto market have adopted some or all of California’s stricter vehicle emissions standards. California also won’t be able to enforce an increase in zero-emission heavy-duty truck sales and a low-nitrogen oxide regulation for heavy-duty highway and off-road vehicles/engines. “Today we’re saving California, and we’re saving our entire country from a disaster,” Trump said, according to The Hill.
How California and other states are reacting to Trump’s signing
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, announced last month that his state would go to court to protect its federal waiver allowing its own clean air rules, claiming it exists outside of the Congressional Review Act’s scope, which repealed the waiver. Now, Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington are among the states joining California’s legal battle.
In March, the Government Accountability Office said California’s waivers can’t be repealed under the Congressional Review Act, and the Senate parliamentarian had advised not moving forward with the act, making the Senate’s decision to go against the parliamentarian extremely rare. Former President Biden’s waiver allowed 80% of the new vehicles that California sells to be all-electric by 2035, with the rest being advanced plug-in hybrids. The mandate’s ramp-up period included 35% of new 2026 model cars sold in the state being zero-emission, increasing to 68% in 2030 and 100% in 2035.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the Air Resources Board to craft another mandate for cars and trucks to either support its existing mandates or replace them in the case of a court loss. Newsom also instructed the board to create a public list of automakers and truck manufacturers following California’s emissions rules and companies acting early to convert fleets to zero-emission trucks, “regardless of the status of those regulations under federal law,” Cal Matters reports.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation is backing Trump
While Trump’s signings generated backlash, The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Stellantis, and other automakers, supported the president’s decision, describing California’s previous mandate as unachievable and something that would raise car prices. EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou said, “This is nothing more than California throwing a temper tantrum because the American people don’t want the state’s terrible policies,” according to Reuters. More than a quarter of California’s new car sales are EVs, with New Jersey and New York following at 15% and 12%, respectively, The Alliance for Automotive Innovation reports.
Final thoughts
Meeting California’s EV mandates would’ve been challenging for automakers. Still, Congress’s decision to block the state from setting its emissions standards sets off a domino effect that could significantly slow EV development throughout the country. Michael Gerrard, the founder of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, said: “The chief winners of this move are the oil industry and China. Electric vehicles are the main threat to the demand for oil, and this move further cements China as the global leader in producing electric vehicles,” according to NBC. A decrease in EV adoption resulting from Congress’s repeal could also pose health risks, as California stated its EV sales mandate would prevent around 1,300 cardiopulmonary deaths between 2026 and 2040.
