California and the Path to the Electric Future: The Tension Holds

The debate about California's ambitious plan to end the sale of exclusively gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035 continues to generate great interest. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not yet decided whether it will approve the state's ambitious plan. A representative of the California Air Resources Board expressed the expectation that the EPA will grant a waiver under the Clean Air Act. This would allow California to implement the regulation that requires at least 80 percent of new cars to be electric or plug-in hybrids by 2035. Already, eleven other states, including New York, Massachusetts, and Oregon, have adopted these provisions. In total, California has currently submitted seven additional waiver applications to the EPA. Meanwhile, the EPA is withholding further information on the timeline as it aims to make decisions that are legally robust. Interestingly, the designated President Donald Trump has announced plans to revoke previously granted waivers and reduce the pressure on car manufacturers to produce zero-emission vehicles. California also plans for 35 percent of vehicles to be zero-emission by the 2026 model year. This target is to be increased to 68 percent by 2030. According to the state, this is crucial for achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets and reducing pollutant emissions. The automotive industry, represented by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which includes General Motors, Volkswagen, and Toyota Motor, warns that the program could be economically harmful. It could potentially increase costs and limit the range of vehicles available. The alliance claims some states might have to withdraw from the program. On Friday, the Supreme Court directed additional attention to the issue by pledging to address the challenge to the 2022 waiver granted to California. California, the most populous state in the USA, has received over 75 exemptions since 1967. These consistently demand stricter emission standards and a higher sales rate of electric vehicles.