Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares just TERMINATED an electric vehicle (EV) mandate from California that was being forced onto everyone in the country using statutory schemes concocted at the federal level. The influx of EVs over the past ten years was not driven by market demand, but rather by stipulations generated by a bunch of controlling sycophants in California, who think they are saving the planet and know what’s best for each person.
Now, for Virginians, the EV mandate will expire at the end of 2024, and automakers can go back to making powerful, off-the-grid engines, without the threat of fines for manufacturers, dealers and consumers. Other states are expected to follow suit and restore freedom of choice for the people.
EV mandate falling apart as Americans seek freedom of choice
The mandate, originating from the California Air Resources Board, was set to take effect January 1, 2025. Using the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set out to apply California’s EV mandate for all 50 United States. The fascist scheme uses stringent emissions standards to punish automakers for creating gasoline and diesel-powered engines. The coercive schemes also provide credits to automakers when they develop the government-mandated EVs.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared the state’s independence from these crony EV mandates. “Once again, Virginia is declaring independence – this time from a misguided electric vehicle mandate imposed by unelected leaders nearly 3,000 miles away from the Commonwealth,” said Youngkin. “The idea that government should tell people what kind of car they can or can’t purchase is fundamentally wrong. Virginians deserve the freedom to choose which vehicles best fit the needs of their families and businesses. The law is clear, and I am proud to announce Virginians will no longer be forced to live under this out-of-touch policy.”
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Under the federal government’s Clean Air Act, Congress stipulates that motor vehicle emissions standards should be governed by federal law to prevent inconsistencies in requirements faced by auto manufacturers across different jurisdictions. Section 209 of the Act specifically prohibits states from establishing their own standards related to emissions control for new motor vehicles, leaving the responsibility of setting nationwide standards to the EPA. However, despite Section 209, Section 177 of the statute does allow states meeting certain criteria to petition the EPA for a waiver from federal standards if they can demonstrate that their own standards would offer equivalent protection for public health and welfare. If granted, compliance with the state's standards would be considered equivalent to compliance with federal standards.
California Resources Board tries to convert all new car sales to EVs by 2035
In 2012, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) introduced the Advanced Clean Cars Program, combining regulations on greenhouse gases and low-and zero-emission vehicles for the years 2015-2025. The program aimed to reduce emissions from motor vehicles over time by decreasing the sale of new gas-powered vehicles. The program established a credit system where vehicle manufacturers earn credits for each zero-emission vehicle sold, and mandated increasing zero-emission credit requirements over time. By 2025, 22 percent of all new vehicles in California were required to be zero emission vehicles. CARB sought and obtained a waiver from the EPA for their program in 2013, pushing other states to implement it.
In 2022, CARB introduced Advanced Clean Cars Program II for the years 2026-2035. The updated program sets even stricter emissions standards and aims for all new passenger cars, trucks and SUVs sold in California to be zero emissions by 2035, effectively banning the sale of non-electric vehicles from that year onward. Auto makers who did not comply would be faced with a $20,000 fine per vehicle sold, but these fines were scheduled to pass on to the dealers and consumers, who are engaged in the actual transactions.
That said, only nice percent of vehicles sold in Virginia in 2023 were EVs. Falling short of the EPA’s mandate, consumers could have faced hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties. Small auto dealers, unable to shoulder the burden of these mandates, would have to shut down. Thankfully the tide is turning on this issue, so freedom of choice and innovation can make a comeback in the automotive industry.
Sources include:
OAG.states.va.us [PDF]
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