President Trump issued an executive order that calls for the EPA to terminate the waiver granted late last year that allows California to set clean car rules that are more protective than the national standards. The legality of this planned move is murky, and the administration still needs to go through procedural steps to finalize it, but the benefits of the state-based regulations now under jeopardy are clear: thousands of dollars of savings for vehicle owners, almost 400 million metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution reductions in California alone, and thousands of avoided ER visits and premature deaths due to lower exposure to air pollution.
Clean car rules ensure automakers transition away from gasoline-only cars over the next 10 years
In 2022, California enacted the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) regulations, and 11 other states (plus the District of Columbia) have now also adopted these rules. A key component of the rules is the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program, a set of regulations that ensures that automakers make electric vehicle models available for sale in increasing numbers, starting with model year 2026 vehicles. By 2035, all new vehicles sold need to be fully electric or plug-in hybrid models (up to 20% can be gasoline-powered plug-in hybrids). The rules place no restrictions on using existing gasoline vehicles or on used car sales and are only enforced on the auto manufacturers’ new products.
Moving from burning gasoline to using clean electricity saves lives and money.
Switching from gasoline engines to electric motors greatly reduces both the air pollution and climate-changing emissions generated from driving personal vehicles. Driving the average electric vehicle on electricity from California’s grid produces global warming emissions equal to driving a 137 mpg gasoline car, or about one quarter the emissions of a 35 mpg gasoline car. The state’s air quality regulator, the Air Resources Board, has estimated that the ACCII rules will have a benefit through 2040 of $13 billion from the public health benefits and between $10 to $42 billion in savings from avoided climate-changing emissions. The health benefits include a reduction of over 1,000 premature deaths from cardiovascular disease due to air pollution.
For almost 60 years, California vehicle standards have brought clean car technologies to the world. Everything from catalytic converters to hybrid technologies have become commonplace because California has been willing to lead. More recently, California and other clean car states have focused their efforts on ensuring that car buyers have zero emission options available and it’s working. Consumers have an increasing range of models to pick from, including dozens of electric and plug-in hybrid models that slash emissions and save money at the pump. The Trump Administration can’t kill the transition to EVs but moves like this will likely make it harder for car buyers to switch to a cleaner car, hurting drivers’ pocketbooks and everyone’s health.