On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court decided against hearing an appeal that challenges California’s authority to set its own vehicle emission standards. The decision maintains a lower court ruling that upheld The Golden State’s ability to determine its own emissions regulations. Although California has stricter emissions than those implemented by the EPA, the state’s size and economic power essentially set the standard for automakers across the U.S.
For decades, California has enjoyed a special waiver granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that allows it to establish stricter emissions rules than those set by the federal government. However, some conservative-leaning states and fuel companies argued that the waiver is unlawful, appealing to the Supreme Court to intervene.
Although the Court rejected this broader challenge, it agreed to review whether fuel companies have the legal right to sue over California’s self-determining emissions rules, per a report from CNN. The Supreme Court’s recent decision follows a ruling from a Washington, D.C. appeals court made earlier this year that dismissed most of the case, arguing that plaintiffs could not sue because automakers are already shifting toward electric vehicles on their own due to consumer demand, rather than as the result of regulation concerns.
California has been more aggressive than the EPA in the push for widespread EV adoption. In 2022, the state approved rules to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035, a move that has had major consequences for the U.S. auto market due to the state’s large economy and influence. There are currently 17 states that follows California’s lead in setting stricter emissions standards than those set in place by the EPA. Conversily, the Biden administration has set less strict national emission standards, with rules in place that allow plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles to serve a role in the transition to fully electric cars.
Meanwhile, president-elect Trump is expected to weigh in on the issue during his second term in office. In 2019, the Trump administration rolled back California’s emissions waiver before it was reinstated by the Biden administration in 2022.
Comments
Folks pay good attention to this. This is going to affect 44% of the American market with all the CARB states.
The CARB states can run free of the EPA.
GM has done the right thing keeping ICE but not killing EV as it will still be required in a number of states.
This won’t matter after 1/20/25 when Trump signs away the California waiver like he did last time.
Just how much power do you think a President has? They can’t just wipe away legislation you or they don’t like. There are processes for this.
“For decades, California has enjoyed a special waiver granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that allows it to establish stricter emissions rules than those set by the federal government.” This does not appear to be legislation. Government agencies don’t write legislation. Hence, President Trump can eliminate the waiver.
Another reason for people to leave the dumb state. And of course WA will follow like a copycat only probably figure out a way to make it worse.
California will be a non factor in 4 years, as well as all the swing states leaving CAFE.
Steve, you did it again. California is the fifth biggest economy in the world. To say that it will be a non factor in 4 years is really dumb. Why so much hate towards California? Same people posting divisive comments taken from their master’s playbook. Decades ago the big cities in the state were suffocating under smog. They have the right to push for cleaner air. They have different priorities than South Dakota.
Hate? High taxes, wokism, people allowed to live in the street and use them as a toilet, taxpayer money handed to illegal immigrants, socialist America- hating politicians, being allowed to shoplift with no consequences and $7 a Hall n gasoline. Other than that California is not too bad. The reason why it’s the fifth largest economy is because everything is twice as high compared to the rest of the country.
Yes they had smog but not all was cars. Today cars are a small part of their issues.
They need to balance their approach to help mfgs and their citizens to be able to buy affordable transportation.
Common senses is needed and Newsom is a bit short on that. Today he is bragging how he is saving California money as it goes bankrupt. He is a major narcissist.
What about states’ rights? Or is that for only red states?
Perhaps you should read up on the commerce e clause. If every state had their own set of rules nothing would get done. It was asinine to let a bunch of California bureaucrats dictate what an entire industry should build.
Most automakers engineer vehicles for multiple markets, not just the U.S., which accounts for approximately 16% of global vehicle sales. CARB is just a small piece of the global automotive market, so to say that California dictates what an entire industry builds is not accurate.
In this country it does.
BRAVO! Well said. State’s rights only applies if certain groups like it.
It also has the highest rate of STD infection.
Trump will fail again to do what he promises. The next failure will be lowering prices. Thank the Constitution that he cannot run for a third term, and that he cannot change that! By 2035 gas prices will be so high that people will be begging for EVs and hybrids, then buying them as imports, killing the economy even more. At least Californians will be ahead of the rest of the nation by 2035.
They are already ahead of the nation in syphilis.
Look CARB is more than California. I think it is 14 states. They are 44% of the market.
The SCOTUS has declared as it is now these states have the right to control their own emissions rules. This is not about what is best for business but the states rights. The states should use common sense but they don’t.
What could change this is the people voting and dumping the people in office to those who will change the laws. Until then this will remain a hot potato in the courts.
Auto makers can serve both but few have the EV cars to cover CARB states. Nor can they afford to build them by 2035. GM is one that can.
It will become a mess and the fight will continue with automakers getting crushed in the middle.
Nobody mentioned that California has a problem supplying electric now in the summer time. Where is California going to get electric from for EV’s?
As a Californian I did not realize that we had such a STD problem . Keep up the good work informing me of current events.