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California gets approval for its EV mandate — just before Trump promises to block it
A motorcyclist splits lanes as drivers sit in traffic on southbound Interstate 5 during the afternoon commute heading into downtown San Diego on November 22, 2024
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The Biden administration approved a long-awaited California rule that will allow the state to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, a little over a month before President-elect Donald Trump returns to office with a promise to dismantle the state’s regulations. The move sets up a political tug-of-war that’s likely to last through Trump’s second term in office.
Why it matters: California’s vehicle emissions policy, known as Advanced Clean Cars, is the centerpiece of California’s climate agenda and — given the state’s size and share of the national car market — has the potential to reshape the trajectory of the American auto industry.
Trump and the GOP position: The policy also a major political talking point for Trump and congressional Republicans, who’ve lambasted California’s climate policies on the campaign trail and promised to support fossil fuel industries. Trump’s EPA is expected to quickly start the process of revoking the waiver, which could take more than a year to complete and is destined to end up in court.
Car industry viewpoint: The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the auto industry’s main trade group, said it expected the waiver to be approved and then revoked under Trump next year. The group said in a statement responding to the waiver approval that states without the charging infrastructure to follow California’s electric car mandate should exit the program, and that customers aren’t ready to make the switch at the pace proposed.
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Newsom’s victory lap: “Naysayers like President-elect Trump would prefer to side with the oil industry over consumers and American automakers, but California will continue fostering new innovations in the market,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Wednesday.
For more, read the full story in POLITICO’s California Climate newsletter.
This story is published in partnership with POLITICO.
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