The US Senate has blocked California’s pioneering mandate to phase out gas-powered cars, marking a significant setback for the state’s transition to electric vehicles. The Republican-led Senate revoked a waiver established during Joe Biden’s presidency, which allowed California to set its own, more stringent vehicle emissions standards.
The decision was met with immediate resistance from California’s government, which announced plans to sue the administration. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the move, stating it was a “big day for big oil, big day for GM and Toyota, big day for China. Terrible day for your kids, terrible day for air quality, terrible day for innovation and entrepreneurship.”
California has historically struggled with severe smog, particularly in Los Angeles. To address this, the state implemented a mandate requiring increasing percentages of new car sales to be zero-emission vehicles, reaching 100% by 2035. Republicans argue this mandate is costly and infringes on consumer choice, while Democrats claim the Senate’s action was illegal.
The controversy centers on the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which Republicans argue allows them to overturn California’s waiver with a simple majority vote. However, nonpartisan watchdogs, including the Government Accountability Office and the Senate Parliamentarian, have stated that the CRA does not apply to such waivers.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta vowed to challenge the Senate’s decision in court, asserting the state’s right to maintain its clean vehicle standards. The dispute highlights the ongoing tension between environmental policies and industrial interests in the automotive sector.
This development comes as the US electric vehicle market continues to evolve. Despite former President Donald Trump’s criticism of EVs during his campaign, US EV sales reached 1.3 million units last year, a 7.3% increase from the previous year. However, automakers have recently scaled back investments due to slowing demand growth.
