In an effort to accelerate the shift away from combustion engines, President Donald Trump signed three resolutions Thursday that prohibit California from requiring the sale of electric vehicles and establishing tailpipe emissions requirements.
The resolutions repeal the federal waiver that permits California to establish its own tailpipe pollution requirements under the Clean Air Act and overturn the state’s historic 2024 decision to prohibit the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. The plan, which Trump has referred to as California’s “EV mandate,” was enacted by 17 states, which account for 30% of the US auto market.
Trump’s action will prevent the 17 states from enforcing California’s 2035 electric vehicle sales requirements. Additionally, California’s plan to mandate an increasing amount of heavy-duty truck purchases with zero emissions was revoked by Trump.
“We officially rescued the U.S. auto industry from destruction by terminating the California electric vehicle mandate once and for all,” Trump stated at a White House news conference.
California will file a lawsuit to “stop this latest illegal action by a President who is a wholly-owned subsidiary of big polluters,” according to a statement released by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Trump and Newsom are also at odds over Trump’s use of National Guard forces to put down demonstrations against his administration’s harsh immigration enforcement policies in Los Angeles.
Additionally, it has strained relations between Trump and Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and his former close adviser. Last week, Trump and Musk had a highly public falling out, but things have since improved. Trump’s stance on electric vehicles was partially to blame for the gap.
Regarding Musk, Trump stated during the press conference on Thursday: “Now we know why Elon doesn’t like me so much, which he does.” In fact, he does.
While climate groups claimed the news kneecaps climate action in the United States and forfeits the electric vehicle industry to nations like China, automakers overwhelmingly supported the resolutions. In the US, transport is responsible for 28% of all greenhouse gas emissions, which is the highest percentage.
“The chief winners of this move are the oil industry and China,” Michael Gerrard, the founder of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University stated. “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.”
Last year, China sold two-thirds of the world’s electric cars, up from 50% in 2021.
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“Instead of investing in electric vehicle manufacturing here in the U.S. and leading us towards a healthier future, the administration is dead set on pushing us backwards and ceding EV innovation and leadership to China,” Katherine Garcia, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All program stated. “The Sierra Club will continue to fight for clean transportation solutions across the country.”
In a statement, Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, congratulated Trump and claimed that California’s waivers had reduced “consumer choice for Americans in every state.”
Trump’s move was highly praised by automakers and auto trade associations, many of whom attended the news conference on Thursday.
In a statement, a General Motors representative stated, “We have long pushed for one national standard that will allow us to stay competitive, continue to invest in U.S. innovation, and offer customer choice across the broadest lineup of gas-powered and electric vehicles.”
“Common sense won out today,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Association.
