On Thursday, California Air Resources Board approved a regulation banning new sales of gas-powered vehicles, as my RedState colleague reported. The regulations require all new cars, trucks, and SUVs to be powered by electricity or hydrogen by 2035, with one-fifth permitted to be plug-in hybrid vehicles. The plan stems from CA Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order signed nearly two years ago. But, the newly approved plan doesn’t just impact the Golden State, it puts 17 other states including Virginia on a path to adopt the regulations.
Ren?e C. Byer/The Sacramento Bee via AP, Pool
After the CARB adopted the new regulation Newsom made a statement calling the forced changes on the consumer markets “revolutionary.”
“California will continue to lead the revolution towards our zero-emission transportation future,” Newsom said.
The Clean Air Act permits California to enact its own stricter standards for new vehicle emissions with the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency. No other states are allowed to do that, but they are permitted to adopt some or all of California’s Advanced Clean Car standards. In 2021, under Democrat Governor Ralph Northam and a Democrat-controlled legislature, Virginia passed a law that links its standards to California’s.
On Friday, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and legislators in the Republican-controlled lower chamber vowed to take action to block the CA rules from coming to fruition in their state. Governor Youngkin addressed Virginians in a statement.
“In an effort to turn Virginia into California, liberal politicians who previously ran our government sold Virginia out by subjecting Virginia drivers to California vehicle laws. Now, under that pact, Virginians will be forced to adopt the California law that prohibits the sale of gas and diesel-fueled vehicles. I am already at work to prevent this ridiculous edict from being forced on Virginians. California’s out of touch laws have no place in our Commonwealth.”
In a statement, House Speaker Todd Gilbert added:
“House Republicans will advance legislation in 2023 to put Virginians back in charge of Virginia’s auto emission standards and its vehicle marketplace. Virginia is not, and should not be, California.”
Virginia Republicans attempted to repeal the Virginia law this year, the bill passing in the House but dying in the Senate where Democrats hold the majority by a single seat. The 2021 law linking the states’ standards takes effect in 2024, but the gas-powered vehicle ban does not begin in California until 2035.
In the meantime, auto-makers begin to cancel future offerings of beloved Americana models like the Dodge Charger and Challenger, opting to produce electric vehicles instead.