Trump Signs Measures Revoking California’s Electric Vehicle Mandates
President Donald Trump signed three measures today that block California’s efforts to phase out gas-powered cars and clean up diesel trucks. The move deals a significant blow to California’s aggressive transition to electric vehicles and could undermine its decades-long authority to address air pollution.
“We officially rescue the U.S. auto industry from destruction by terminating California’s electric vehicle mandate,” Trump said at the White House. “And they’re never coming back.” He described California’s zero-emission car phaseout as “a disaster for this country.”
The dispute centers on waivers granted to California under the Clean Air Act, which allows the state to set its own vehicle emissions standards due to its severe air pollution problems. Last month, Congress used the Congressional Review Act to revoke three waivers that the Biden administration had granted to California.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta immediately filed a lawsuit against Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, arguing that the revocation was unlawful. “Trump’s all-out assault on California continues – and this time he’s destroying our clean air and America’s global competitiveness in the process,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “We are suing to stop this latest illegal action by a President who is a wholly-owned subsidiary of big polluters.”
Ten other states that follow California’s emissions rules joined the lawsuit: Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Newsom also issued an executive order directing the Air Resources Board to craft a new mandate for cars and trucks, potentially bolstering or replacing the existing ones.
The original mandate, enacted in 2022, required 35% of new 2026 model cars sold in California to be zero-emissions, increasing to 68% in 2030 and 100% in 2035. Congress also blocked California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which required manufacturers to meet targets for zero-emission heavy and medium-duty trucks from 2024 through 2035, and a regulation reducing nitrogen oxides emitted by trucks and buses.
Trump claimed that his actions mean these rules “are fully and expressly preempted by the Clean Air Act and cannot be implemented.” However, legal experts and government bodies like the Government Accountability Office and Senate Parliamentarian have questioned Congress’s authority to revoke the waivers.
In response to the federal action, Newsom directed state agencies to determine ways to help consumers transition to electric vehicles within 60 days, including eliminating obstacles to building more charging stations. The governor also ordered the creation of a public list of automakers and truck manufacturers that follow California’s emissions rules and those that take early action to convert fleets to zero-emission vehicles.
