Stein Seeks to Delay Penalties on Maryland’s Electric Vehicle Mandate
Del. Dana Stein (D-Baltimore County) is pushing to delay the implementation of penalties associated with Maryland’s electric vehicle (EV) sales mandate. The law, which requires a growing percentage of new car sales to be electric, is scheduled to begin with the 2027 model year. Stein’s bill aims to pause the penalties until the 2029 model year.
Stein, the House Speaker Pro Tem, stated, “There’s no bigger champion of the state taking action to deal with climate issues than me. But I came to realize that these EV requirements were not going to get more EVs on the road in the short term.” He expressed concerns that manufacturers might choose to send fewer vehicles to Maryland dealers if they couldn’t meet the mandates.
Under the existing law, known as the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) program, electric vehicles must account for 43% of cars sold by manufacturers in Maryland by the 2027 model year, increasing to 51% in 2028, and eventually reaching 100% by 2035. The program also includes requirements for trucks, starting in 2027.
Peter Kitzmiller, president of the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association, supports pausing the penalties, asserting that customer demand, not the mandate, will dictate EV sales. He believes that a delay would not negatively impact EV sales.
However, environmental advocates oppose the bill, viewing it as a setback for the state’s clean air efforts. Lindsey Mendelson, Senior Clean Transportation Representative for the Maryland Sierra Club, said, “Moving towards cleaner vehicles saves lives. Delaying these regulations would harm our public health and our climate goals.”
Stein’s bill received unanimous support from the House Rules Committee and has been sent to the House Environment and Transportation Committee for a hearing. He attributes the need for a pause to factors such as reduced EV demand, insufficient charging infrastructure, and the elimination of federal EV tax credits.
Sen. Steve Hershey (R-Upper Shore) has previously introduced similar legislation. Del. Jesse Pippy (R-Frederick) also commended Stein’s bill.
