California Car Rule to be Fast Tracked by EPA
Over the last few years of the Biden administration, a regulatory and legal war has waged over state and federally proposed rules that would phase out gasoline powered cars. California, the leading state in this endeavor, is poised to see its newest vehicle regulation greenlit as soon as this week, according to Politico. Advanced Clean Cars II, the rule of note, would require automakers to sell electric vehicles at an increasing percentage of the total amount of cars sold. Effectively, the regulation bans new gasoline powered cars by 2035.
Under the Clean Air Act, states can adopt rules such as Advanced Clean Cars II to set stronger pollution standards than the federal government – but the EPA must provide waivers first. The EPA told Politico it was still reviewing the regulation to make sure the decision is grounded in law. With President-elect Donald Trump taking office on January 20th, the EPA’s decision could set up a showdown between the White House and California – affecting automakers across the nation. In Trump’s first term, the EPA retracted California’s ability and authority to author its own pollution regulations – splitting auto manufacturers into two camps. Additionally important, the EPA issues the waiver to California, the decision would affect roughly 30 percent of the U.S. car market, as California is the nation’s most populous state, and eleven other states have adopted the stringent rules.
The California waiver from the EPA could shape one of the largest battles of President-elect Trump’s first year in office. A spokesperson for the transition team said that Trump has “a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, including stopping attacks on gas-powered cars.” While it is evident that fights regarding gas-powered and electric vehicles aren’t going anywhere in 2025, the natural response should be to focus on fortifying our electricity grid so that the inevitable surge of electric vehicles hitting our grid can be accommodated for. The discourse around electric vehicles is not one side or the other – the U.S. needs to strengthen its energy grids if these ‘green’ dreams are ever to be realized.