EPA clears California ban on new gas-powered car sales, Trump likely to block move
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The Biden administration has granted California the permission to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, enacting a major climate policy before the end of its term in January that will likely be revoked by president-elect Donald Trump.
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday granted two requests from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for waivers to implement its Advanced Clean Cars II regulations for light-duty vehicles, and its “Omnibus” low-NOx regulation.
The ACC II regulations would apply for model year 2026 through 2035 and beyond for light- and medium-duty vehicles. The rules, which will not apply to used cars, are expected to reduce smog, soot-causing pollutants, and greenhouse gases.
“California has longstanding authority to request waivers from EPA to protect its residents from air pollution coming from mobile sources like cars and trucks,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan, referring to a provision under the 1970 Clean Air Act that allows the state to implement tougher rules.
Trump has long criticized California’s strict standards. “Biden is preparing to approve a waiver request from California, allowing them to enact a total ban on gasoline powered cars and trucks,” he’d said on the campaign trail. “I will terminate that. If this Biden ban goes into effect, the U.S. auto industry will be slaughtered.”
“We expect Trump will revoke the waiver in 2025,” said John Bozzella, CEO of lobby group Alliance for Automotive Innovation, whose members include GM (GM) and Ford (F). The group has called for a single national standard instead.
California will likely push back if Trump revokes the waivers, paving the way for a legal battle between the state and the federal government.
The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, a trade group whose members include Chevron (CVX) and ExxonMobil (XOM), said the EPA’s waivers and the California ban are unlawful. It said these policies will raise vehicle costs, and undermine U.S. energy and national security.