A power supply charging the battery of an electric automobile. (Photo: Shutterstock/buffaloboy)
More States and Auto Dealers Fight Back Against California’s EV Car and Truck Mandates
The entire industry is waiting to see what Trump does
By Evan Symon, December 23, 2024 1:33 pm
For the past several years, multiple states have followed California on two key electric vehicle mandates. One is the 2035 gas-powered car sales ban. And then the other is the 2042 Advanced Clean Fleets rule, which states that all trucks in California must be zero-emissions by 2042. While there are others, such as the 2036 diesel big rig truck and bus sales ban, the first two are the primary policies.
Currently on board the 2035 mandate are California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington, with partial signing-ons by Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota and New Mexico. A few more have signed with the 2042 mandate, comprising of California, Washington, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Oregon. Several states are also currently contemplating it, including Maine, Connecticut, Hawaii, and North Carolina.
But as 2025 approaches, the EV market is facing a lot of issues. While 10% of all new car sales nationwide are now electric, EV sales have diminished to a trickle. The incoming Trump administration has also been looking at removing several electric car policies, including getting rid of the federal rebate. And in California, EV car sales have actually been slipping compared to last year, making it highly unlikely that the state reaches its 2026 goal of having a 35% sales share of EV vehicles. Governor Gavin Newsom and other lawmakers in Sacramento have been scrambling to keep sales up, with Newsom giving misleading claims on EV vehicle sales and vowing to bring back the state rebate should Trump remove the federal rebate.
It isn’t just California either. Most states are now struggling to keep up with EV sales mandate goals. The reasons are many. For some, the demand just isn’t there. For others, the charging network isn’t extensive yet, with complaints abounding with how long charge times are. Many have also called for a longer transition period augmented with hybrid vehicles instead of such a drastic and callous decision to go straight electric vehicle.
This has caused states to rebel. Many have already left the 2035 mandate, including Virginia, with others currently debating whether to pull out. And this week, New Jersey auto dealerships and truck sellers have been actively fighting the 2042 mandate. While truck manufacturers are tied to the New Jersey version of the mandate, truck dealers are not, causing headaches for state lawmakers in Trenton, who are now contemplating delaying implementation of the rules to give more time for compliance. New Jersey isn’t the only state either, as a consumer backlash has been growing apparent with the slipping sales. Michigan not only dropped its EV mandate attempts, but even have Democrats opposing the laws during the election this year in the Wolverine state.
A fight over mandates
Federally, the debacle has been mixed. In September, Biden’s attempts at an EV mandate failed in the House, with even some Democrats voting against it. However, earlier this month, the EPA approved California’s mandates, potentially making it harder for the next administration to remove state-level EV sales bans, such as California’s 2035 and 2042 mandates.
Which brings everything back to the upcoming year. Biden has attempted to preserve state EV mandates, but Trump has vowed to remove the mandates. Trump’s EPA had even attempted to undo California’s mandate until Trump lost the 2020 election. But that federal undoing is near the top of his to-do list, with many states now looking to roll back on those policies next year as a result. And that’s if they even need to be rolled back, as a federal ban would simply make that moot.
“What we have been seeing in New Jersey is indicative of how most states who have adopted those California mandates are feeling right now,” said Veronica Deer, an auto industry analyst who focuses on the electric market. “California’s mandates went for too much, too fast. And like you said, didn’t even offer any transitionary time. That’s why they’re failing.
“Electric vehicles would also see natural growth as long as more charging networks are built and you can make charging as easy and fast as gassing up a tank. That’s really been the setback for people. The charging times and the cost. Especially for those in colder climates, as cold weather charging takes a lot longer.
“The entire industry is waiting to see what Trump does. If he manages to get rid of the mandates and tosses out California’s 2035 law, we’ll have some uncertainty in the industry on where to go. But, what will likely happen is that it will follow what the market wants, which right now is a gradual shift to hybrid and electric. California and the others with mandate laws, those are forced compliance. So those mandate laws suddenly gone, well, dealers in California will have to do the math and see what they need to stock.
“But next year, yeah, it will be if Trump federally nixes those mandates, and if he does, what the state lawsuits will look like, because you know California is going to sue.”
Trump administration action on the California-style state mandates is expected to be announced early next year.
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Get rid of the subsidies and mandates EV’s will end up being 1% of sales tops. Only the true believers will stick to them.
Kick em squarely in the butt, President Trump…
Rescind the mandates and spend Day 1 of your Administration as BuyedIn did, with a stack of mandates and policy reversals…
Of course Newsom is pushing for EV adoption, as BYD is the CCP front-company that Newsom signed the billion dollar no bid contract for plandemic PPE…
Why do you think he took that Chinese photo-op trip? Probably arranging for the wire transfer to his Swiss or offshore account to help pay for his new 9 mill mansion….
The man is vile…
Electricity costs are at unsustainable levels for many in California because of the energy policies being dictated to Californians by Hair-gel Hitler Newsom and his criminal Democrat mafia cronies in the legislature. They’ve made a complete mess of this state while no doubt getting payoffs to push EVs from CCP connected companies like BYD?
🤣🤣🤣 BOYCOTT TESLA
Newsom seems to be keeping the pending road tax fees levied on EV’s in his pocket for now since it will affect his presidential ambitions.
I do understand the need for it and it has to be dealt with eventually but IMO, the money is being diverted to everything but asphalt and white paint.
I have a PHEV plug in hybrid, and unlike a full EV I am on my fourth tank of gasoline (~ 35 gallons) @4200 miles. In typical Newsom style, the sudden fuel tax increase I am hearing about appears to skip full EV’s. This is so totally Newsom I could puke.
The federal level under Trump is one thing, the state level under Newsom and whomever will replace him in a couple years is another. Instead of impotently bitching about it, this would be better addressed through the ballot initiative, bypassing Newsom, the legislature and crazed, unaccountable bureaucrats like those running amok at CARB. There will need to be a lot of attention as to how the election is conducted and maybe a small army of election attorneys to address malfeasence by how the votes are counted or manipulated.
With the SoCal Edison Tier 2 rate at $0.43/ kwh, EVs are actually more expensive to operate per mile than a hybrid. By banishing ICE vehicles, it actually makes it possible for the cost of electricity to go even higher, mostly unchecked.
The way to fix this and stop the madness is very simple. President Trump just needs to FULLY EMBRACE these policies in these States by issuing one simple Executive Order:\
Any State that has a law or official policy of banning ICE powered vehicles, SHALL receive NO FEDERAL FUNDS for Transportation unless and until 100% of the Public Employee’s in said State exclusively use an EV or mass public transit for ALL Travel and be Prohibited from using, owning, or possessing ANY ICE powered vehicle of any kind. And it should be a Felony for any public employee to utilize an ICE powered in Perpetuity.
“…EV sales have diminished to a trickle”
This is false, even though fake stats like this are being widely reported. EV sales have in fact increased 11% in the last quarter. California recently passed 25% EV market share. Thanks to disinformation like this, the US is falling behind the rest of the world. China is past 50% EV market share. And over 90% of new car sales in Norway are now EVs. The US automakers risk becoming irrelevant to world markets by stubbornly refusing to take EVs seriously.
The 20-25% market share only relates to new car (excluding light trucks) sales which are down 10-15% overall from last year. Additionally, the critical metric of rate of market share change have started to plateau which one could characterize as a trickle for the sake of argument. Numerous factors at play here, but it’s generally true that wealthy people are less affected by interest rates and high debt loads and can afford an EV whereas lower income people are not in the market at all, further skewing the percentages. And for the record, I don’t have any issues with EV’s, there are many compelling reasons to drive one, but I DO have a major issue with mandates.
EV manufacturers are going bankrupt at a rapid pace. The only sales are where EV’s are MANDATED. No one wants them if not coerced by the government.
I don’t believe chinese propaganda (china is the most egregious, willful gross polluter on earth) and anyone enamored of norway – whether or not the stat is true – needs to pack up and move there on a one way basis.
I don’t believe chinese propaganda (china is the most egregious, willful gross polluter on earth) and anyone enamored of norway – whether or not the stat is true – needs to pack up and move there on a permanent, one way basis.