California Bans the 2021 Chevrolet Camaro SS and ZL1 Over Environmental Concerns
Certain Chevrolet models cannot be sold in California due to brake pad contents
By Evan Symon, December 9, 2020 2:14 pm
On Tuesday, state environmental officials in both California and Washington State announced that certain Chevrolet models, including the 2021 Chevrolet Camaro SS and ZL1, would be banned from any more orders due to failing to meet environmental regulations.
In California, the new variants of the Camaro failed to meet the state’s brake pad laws under the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). According to the California Motor Vehicle Brake Friction Material Law that was signed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2010, cars with brake pads containing “more than trace amounts of copper, certain heavy metals, and asbestos” cannot be sold in the state. Updates in 2014 completely banned the use of heavy metals and asbestos in pads, with a ban on pads with 5% or more of copper coming into law on January 1, 2021. The law, which began its life as Senate Bill 346 in 2010 and was authored by then Senator Christine Kehoe, will also totally ban all copper in brakes by 2025.
Senator Kehoe, as well as Washington state lawmakers, had cited scientific studies showing that heavy metal and copper residue from brakes that reached roads would then be washed to the nearest large body of water. Fish, including many endangered trout and salmon, are susceptible to those metals and can be easily killed by too much in their system. The bans had been put in place largely as a protection for them.
While most 2021 model cars, including the base model Camaro, met the requirement, the Camaro SS and ZL1 variants have pads with more than 5% copper, and have become the first cars to face bans in California.
“Today, it’s only a few types of car,” noted Nathan Medina, an Oakland-based lawyer who has represented many dealerships in California and Illinois. “But these regulations are only going to get stricter, including that all-out ban in 2025. The U.S. auto industry isn’t doing so hot, and these regulations are costing automakers money by being unable to sell them and forcing them to spend more time figuring out ways to make them compliant. So far, it’s two types of high-end cars that need those kinds of brakes. But in the coming years, we could see a lot more types of cars failing to meet those higher and higher standards.”
“California has some of the strictest standards in the world and has fought federal governments over them. They’re going to keep them strict. And in the end, it’s the companies who have to spend the most to change a portion of their cars and make them specially updated for states like California or Washington. Especially with COVID now and people not buying cars as much, this just adds another pinch to them.”
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While California’s law will ban many more coming into the state for sale, existing 2021 models on lots can still be sold due to being grandfathered in. Chevrolet also announced on Wednesday that they will be making significant changes in the 2022 models will make them compliant in California and Washington.
“We will resume allowing customers in California and Washington state to order the Camaro SS, ZL1 and 1LE models in the 2022 model year when we introduce a new brake system that is compliant with the copper requirements,” said Chevrolet spokesman Kevin Kelly on Wednesday. “Customers can, however, purchase these models from available dealer stock in those states.”
Other car manufacturers with copper in their brakes are also expected to develop brakes with no copper in them before the looming 2025 no copper brake deadline. Car manufacturers are also very worried about the recent executive order by Governor Gavin Newsom that will stop the sale of non-emissions free vehicles in 2035, potentially, if left to become law, could lead to a huge automotive crunch in the state.
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A minor brake pad change will fix that.
Looks like they’d rather go into apocalyptic panic meltdown over it.
But the pads are designed to bring car down from hyper-velocity and deal with the tremendous amount of heat developed in braking from very high speeds. A minor brake pad change will not fix it. More likely, supercar’s will not be available in Calif much longer.
So, let me get this straight…. You can grow and smoke dope, shoot heroin in public, piss and schitt in the streets of the cities, live wherever you squat and completely destroy the area with your garbage and waste, but you can’t a drive of Car because of the brakes it’s equipped with?? By the way, I bet there will be very few of these cars because of the price tag and insurance costs. Hahahahahahaaaaaa….. Morons….. Have you Idiots in Suckramento even looked around your State to observe the environmental damage just the Bums (homeless) are doing everywhere??? What a freaking Joke Commiefornia is!!!!
Exactly right!
This means that Chevy failed to pay off a few corrupt Democrats. Nothing wrong with the brakes.
What do other high-performance cars use? Porsche, Lambo, Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, etc., etc.? This can’t be hard to figure out.
Ceramic breaks from Porsche are only $8500. They should upgrade to them.
Sounds like an excuse for a politician(s) hands needing to be grea$ed more…
With all the problems in this world, copper brake pads have got to be at the bottom of the list. California is Bizzaroworld.
The vermin of Sacramento know exactly what they are doing. The goal is to gradually eliminate personal transportation. However, I’m betting there’s a secondary goal here as well. Consider that California has a lead ammunition ban in place. What is the only other metal used in modern bullets, for the jacket and, in the case of lead free ammunition, to construct the entire bullet? The only metal suitable for this purpose? Copper and its alloys. If copper can be turned into an environmental threat, then ALL ammunition can be effectively banned. Today, brake pads. Tomorrow… Remember, the lead ban was pushed through with faulty (possibly fraudulent) science. Watch for environmental “studies” on copper bullets in the near future. If the Left succeeds in stealing the White House, the creatures of Sacramento will only be emboldened.
I’m with the guy on the ammo issue because these leftist idiots are going to destroy the life we all have here and won’t stop until there is nothing left but stupid leftist agenda