The U.S. Justice and Transportation Departments announced that they have filed a lawsuit in federal court, aimed at striking down California regulations requiring automakers to reduce fleetwide vehicle CO2 emissions and increase the proportion of zero emission vehicle (ZEV) sales over time.
The launch of the new lawsuit marks the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration to block California’s transport sustainability regulations – which tends to be more stringent than federal rules, and often sets the pace for some other states – including rescinding EPA waivers last year that had allowed California to enforce a mandate requiring 100% ZEV sales in the state by 2035.
Trump has also actively worked to dismantle federal-level laws aimed at reducing vehicle emissions, including signing an order on his first day in office revoking the Biden administration’s target to have ZEVs make up 50% of new vehicle sales in the U.S. by 2030, and more recently repealing the EPA’s landmark Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding, effectively undermining the U.S. government’s ability to regulate GHG emissions from the automotive sector.
In a statement announcing the launch of the new lawsuit, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said:
“I was proud to stand alongside President Trump to unveil our plan to eliminate the Biden-Buttigieg EV mandate and allow auto manufacturers to produce cars American families actually want to buy at a more affordable price. But Gavin Newsom is determined to continue pushing Democrat’s radical EV fantasy – even if doing so is illegal.”
The regulations targeted by the lawsuit include California Air Resources Board (CARB) rules requiring automakers to meet declining fleet-average tailpipe CO2 limits each year, and to meet rising ZEV sales requirements over time.
According to the Justice Department, the regulations “are effectively state-specific mileage requirements for car manufacturers,” which the suit argues conflicts with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) role as the exclusive regulator of fuel economy in the U.S.
The suit asks the court to declare the regulations unlawful, and to permanently block their enforcement, as well as to prevent California from adopting similar rules in the future.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said:
“Oppressive, expensive electric vehicle mandates drive up costs for American consumers and violate federal law. California is using unlawful policies from the last administration to create exorbitant costs for our citizens — this Department of Justice is proud to stand with President Trump and Secretary Duffy to bring litigation that will make life more affordable for American consumers.”
