A Republican governor is taking aim at electric vehicles and sending a political message by reversing a policy adopted by his predecessor.
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In a June 5 announcement, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Virginia will move away from emissions standards set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and opt for more flexible federal regulations once current regulations expire at End of the year.
The Republican insisted that the election was a matter of freedom for its residents and declared the Commonwealth's “independence” from pesky emissions officials outside Virginia's borders.
“Once again, Virginia is declaring independence, this time from a misguided mandate on electric vehicles imposed by unelected leaders nearly 3,000 miles away from the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said in a statement.
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Once again, Virginia declares independence, this time from a misguided mandate on electric vehicles imposed by unelected leaders nearly 3,000 miles away from the Commonwealth.
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) twitter.com/GovernorVA/status/1798333186386334090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>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 passed the measure in 2021.
A total of 17 states, including Democratic-led states like New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, use California's emissions policies. But the agreement has an exemption that allows the state to make its own rules; CARB rules are known to be held to higher standards than those of the federal government.
The central problem with the CARB standards is their guidelines regarding electric vehicles and the timeline for their full adoption. Under new rules that go into effect in 2025, called Advanced Clean Cars II rules, California and other states that adopt CARB standards will effectively begin phasing out cars with gasoline and diesel engines. States under these rules will have 35% of new car sales in the state electric in the 2026 model year, until 100% of new car sales are electric in 2035.
“The idea that the government should tell people what kind of car they can or can't buy 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 that Virginians will no longer be forced to live under this disconnected policy.
The governor and other Republican state lawmakers in Virginia have opposed the policy and tried to move away from the CARB measure using conventional means in the Democratic-majority legislature. In a statement to conservative media outlet The Daily Caller in September 2023A spokesman for the governor said the policy developed in California does not match what Virginians want, noting that “California's demands for its citizens should not be a one-size-fits-all solution for Virginia.”
Governor. Youngkin justified his decision by citing Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican who testified in a legal opinion that the state is not legally required to comply with the CARB rules in question. In addition, the governor justified that the low sales of electric vehicles in the state did not justify such a change, which could cause dire consequences for car dealers.
“Given that electric vehicles only accounted for 9% of vehicles sold in Virginia in 2023, applying the wrong mandates could have resulted in penalties of hundreds of millions of dollars,” Youngkin's office said in a statement. “Virginia consumers and auto dealers could be forced to bear these costs. Not only would this leave car dealers with less money to pay staff, offer raises and grow their businesses, but it could force many small car dealers to close their doors permanently.”
More electric vehicle deals:
- New study suggests electric vehicles are fueling a looming environmental crisis
- GM Chairman Has Bold Plans for EV Resurrection of Iconic Sports Car
- Ford CEO says this iconic model will “never” be an electric vehicle
Related: Fisker employees revealed some sketchy practices it used to repair its novel electric vehicle.
Electric resistance:
In March 2024, Governor Youngkin endorsed former President Donald J. Trump in the upcoming presidential election. Like Youngkin, electric vehicles have been a pressing issue for Donald, who has vowed to reverse, eliminate or kill President Biden's climate plans.
In May 2024 Washington Post report, the former president received some of the country's top oil executives at his Mar-a-Lago residence. According to people familiar with the matter, the former president implored frontmen to raise $1 billion for his presidential campaign at a dinner, promising to immediately reverse Biden's environmental rules and policies and block new ones once in the Oval Office.
Specifically, Trump mischaracterized the EPA's recently implemented looser electric vehicle rules as a “Biden mandate,” calling them “ridiculous.”
According to final rulings set by the Environmental Protection Agency, the auto industry must sell at least 56% electric vehicles in the total number of all new car sales by 2032. Additionally, the new rules require the industry to have hybrids. Plug-in and other partially electric cars account for 13% of new car sales, while more fuel-efficient gasoline cars should account for an even larger portion of new car sales figures.
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