U.S. Government Sues California Over 2035 Gas Car Ban

The Sovereign State of California

The state of California has always stood out in the automotive world. It has always been the state’s stance that it takes the environment seriously, to the point that it has its own rules on fuel economy and emissions regulations.

Because of this, manufacturers must abide by these special rules, often different from those in the rest of the country. As we all know, California is a major state with a big car-buying and driving population, even bigger than entire countries, making it hard to ignore the rules. With the Trump administration eager to unify regulation, a major case has just been filed against the state.

Our Way or the Highway

This past Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation sued the California Air Resources Board (CARB). It was argued in the U.S. District Court in California that the current state rules are illegal and preempted by federal law. The issue stems from California still enforcing its own Advanced Clean Cars II rules requiring the phase-out of gasoline-powered cars by 2035.

According to Reuters, the suit seeks to declare all California zero-emissions mandates unlawful and unenforceable. Jonathan Morrison, who heads the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), had this to say: “This litigation will help automakers design and produce cars and ⁠trucks to meet one federal fuel economy regulation.”  For context, in 2022, the state of California received EPA approval of the current vehicle rules.

CARB hasn’t released a statement yet regarding the suit, but the State Governor, Gavin Newsom, claims the suit is meritless and that they will not back down. He went on to say that since the start of the war with Iran, fuel prices have steadily increased. He also finds it hard to believe that the Government is willing to sue California for advancing more affordable and cleaner cars that free owners from the grip of foreign oil markets.

U.S.A. vs. California

This latest suit is the Trump administration’s most recent effort to keep California’s automotive regulations in check. Last August, it sued California to stop it from enforcing stricter emission standards for heavy-duty trucks.

Congress has already rescinded the state’s ability to outlaw traditional gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. This was done after Toyota and the Detroit automakers lobbied Congress heavily for relief from California’s emissions regulations.