For years now, the state of California has been fighting to set its own emissions and fuel economy standards independently of the country as a whole, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wound up reinstating those rights under the Clean Air Act back in 2022. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the EPA’s decision earlier this year, after which the California Air Resources Board (CARB) sent a letter to the EPA asking it to approve a waiver under the Clean Air Act that would allow the state to ban the sale of new ICE-only vehicles by 2035. Now, that approval seems even more likely to happen.
According to Reuters, CARB expects the EPA to grant its request, which would result in the state having the power to institute its own unique rules in this regard. “We certainly made it clear that we expect EPA to grant these waivers,” said CARB Executive Officer Steven Cliff. “What’s important is we cannot enforce a rule without that waiver in place.” An EPA spokesperson added that the agency “is following the prescribed process in the Clean Air Act in reviewing all California waiver requests.”
California’s proposed rules – which dictate an 80 percent all-electric and 20 percent plug-in hybrid sales mix by 2035 – have been adopted by a dozen other states, and would begin being phased in starting in 2026. The rules call for a reduction in pollution from light-duty vehicles of 25 percent by 2037, and mandate that 35 percent of all new vehicles sold in the state must be electric or PHEV by 2026, a number that would rise to 68 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035. By comparison’s sake, the EPA’s own rules call for a 35 percent EV sales mix by 2032.
Ford has long supported the right of California to set its own emissions and fuel economy standards, with CEO Jim Farley even stating that he’s not terribly concerned about those types of rules. Regardless, in what is the largest automotive market in the U.S. – where Ford holds a sizable share – there’s obviously a lot at stake here.
Comments
If Trump wins re-election as POTUS,, he needs to ask Congress to eliminate CAFE, the EPA emission rules, the kill switch rules, and deal with states bans on pure ICE vehicles. I would cut off federal highway and infrastructure funding for any state that adopts a ban on ICE vehicles.
He doesn’t need to ask Congress to do that. He can by executive action force CAFE rollbacks. He likely could completely invalidate CARB by executive action as well.
Moreover, he can (and should) fire as many people in these agencies as he wants. He could fire the entire EPA staff if he wanted to.
I just don’t get it. Chase American citizens out of California and force illegals to buy new EV’s. Why not just extend the border into Mexico. Oh, I’m sorry, it already is.
California also thinks their farts smell great.
Pure California insanity on so many levels.