A Republican governor is aiming his crosshairs at electric vehicles, sending a political message by reversing a policy adopted by his predecessor.
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In an announcement on June 5, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said that Virginia will be backing away from the emissions standards set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), going for looser federal regulations instead once current regulations expire at the end of the year.
The Republican insisted that the choice was a matter of freedom for his residents, declaring "independence" for the commonwealth from pesky emissions officials outside Virginian borders.
“Once again, Virginia is declaring independence — this time from a misguided electric vehicle mandate imposed by unelected leaders nearly 3,000 miles away from the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said in a statement.
Once again, Virginia is declaring independence – this time from a misguided electric vehicle mandate imposed by unelected leaders nearly 3,000 miles away from the Commonwealth.
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) June 5, 2024
The commonwealth of Virginia adopted California's CARB standards under the leadership of Democrat Ralph Northam after its house of delegates and state senate approved the measure in 2021
A total of 17 states, including Democrat-led states like New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts use California's emissions policies. But the agreement has a waiver that allows the state to create its own rules; CARB's rules are notorious for being held up to higher standards than the federal government's.
The central issue with the CARB standards is its guidelines regarding electric vehicles and the timeline for their full adoption. Under new rules that are set to take effect in 2025 called the Advanced Clean Cars II rules, California and other states adopting the CARB standards will effectively begin the incremental phasing out of cars with gas and diesel-powered engines. States under these rules will have 35% of new car sales in the state to be electric in model year 2026, all the way to 100% of new car sales being electric cars in 2035.
“The idea that government should tell people what kind of car they can or can’t purchase is fundamentally wrong," the Republican said. "Virginians deserve the freedom to choose which vehicles best fit the needs of their families and businesses. The law is clear, and I am proud to announce Virginians will no longer be forced to live under this out-of-touch policy.
The governor and other Republican Virginia state lawmakers have been opposed to the policy, and have tried to back away from the CARB measure using conventional means in the Democrat-majority legislature. In a statement to conservative news outlet The Daily Caller in September 2023, a spokesperson for the governor said that the policy developed in California does not match what Virginians want, noting that "California’s requirements for their citizens should not be a one size fits all solution for Virginia."
Gov. Youngkin justified his decision by citing Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican who stated in a legal opinion that the state is not legally obligated to abide by the CARB rules in question. Additionally, the governor justified that the low sales of EVs in the state did not warrant such a change, which could cause dire consequences for auto dealers.
“Given that EVs only amounted to 9% of vehicles sold in Virginia in 2023, application of the misguided mandates could have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties,” Youngkin’s office said in a statement. “Virginia auto consumers and dealers could be forced to bear these costs. Not only would this leave auto dealers with less money to pay staff, offer raises, and grow their businesses, it could force many small auto dealers to permanently close their doors.”
More Business of EVs:
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- Ford CEO says this iconic model will "never" be an EV
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Electrical resistance:
In March 2024, Gov. Youngkin endorsed the former President Donald J. Trump in the upcoming presidential election. Like Youngkin, EVs have been a pressing issue for the Donald, who has vowed to reverse, eliminate or make President Biden's climate plans disappear.
In May 2024 report by the Washington Post, the former president hosted some of the country's top oil executives at his Mar-a-Lago residence. According to those familiar with the matter, the former president implored the figureheads to raise $1 billion for his presidential campaign at a dinner, vowing to immediately reverse Biden's environmental rules and policies and block new ones once in the Oval Office.
Specifically, Trump mischaracterized the EPA's newly implemented looser EV rules as "Biden's mandate," calling the rules “ridiculous."
Under the final rulings set by the Environmental Protection Agency, the auto industry must sell at least 56% EVs within the total number of all new auto sales by 2032. Additionally, the new rules require the industry to have plug-in hybrids and other partially electric cars account for 13% of new car sales, while more fuel-efficient gas powered cars should account for a even larger chunk of new auto sales figures.
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