The Environmental Protection Agency has made a major move against President Donald Trump in favor of electric vehicles. This will most likely set off a domino effect of legal battles meant to preserve states' rights to keep their eco-friendly regulations.
California's "clean cars" regulation is at the epicenter. Passed in 2022 under the federal Clean Air Act, it requires 35% of all new cars bought in the Golden State that are built in 2026 and onward to have zero tailpipe emissions, scaling up to 100% by 2035.
The regulation has been adopted by 17 other states, according to Ars Technica, and it seems that they'd like to keep it that way.
This goes directly against Trump's policies. The president opposes tax credits for EVs, which were given under the Inflation Reduction Act during Joe Biden's administration.
Trump recently signed an executive order titled "Unleashing American Energy," which terminates "state emissions waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-powered automobiles." It requires that government agencies comply within 30 days of the order.
(It should be noted that changing a tax code requires congressional action, so it hasn't been revoked yet.)
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However, it seems like the EPA has other plans. California can request a waiver under the Clean Air Act, but it can't actually do anything unless the EPA approves it. And, contrary to Trump's wishes, it still did.
The director of the Center for Biological Diversity's Safe Climate Transport Campaign, Dan Becker, put it succinctly in a statement published by Axios: "The Clean Air Act doesn't allow him to revoke an antipollution waiver. So see you in court, Mr. Trump."
Part of Trump's executive order states that EVs are unaffordable and unbeneficial to the American public. However, EV owners beg to differ. Not only do EVs lead to less pollution, but they also save you a ton of money on gas. It depends on which state you're in, but West Virginians, for example, can save up to $1,800 per year by switching to an EV.
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Whether Becker and his cohort will win their court battle remains to be seen, but it's a great first step.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this article misstated the timeline by which all cars sold in California must have zero tailpipe emissions. It has been updated to reflect that this is not 100% until 2035.
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