In a significant development for the Trump administration, California regulators have rescinded a state mandate that compelled large trucking companies to increase their purchase of electric trucks.
This move marks a reversal of policies from the Biden era, which sought to push consumers towards electric vehicles (EVs).
The California Air Resources Board announced the repeal of its zero-emission purchasing rule for private truck fleets in a press release. According to Politico, this rule was "the final remnant of the state's aggressive push to mandate a rapid electric transition in the trucking sector."
The board's decision on Thursday was described as "a formality," following the agency's inability to secure approval to enforce its Advanced Clean Fleets rule, which was stricter than federal standards, before President Donald Trump assumed office. Under the Clean Air Act, California has the option to request waivers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement emission regulations that exceed federal requirements.
Since returning to office, President Trump has actively worked to dismantle the Biden administration's EV mandates. In June, he signed three resolutions that nullified EPA waivers, which had permitted California to impose more stringent emissions standards. Furthermore, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California last month, accusing the state of attempting to bypass these resolutions and enforce its electric truck mandate.
President Trump has also issued an executive order halting the Biden administration's $7.5 billion initiative to establish EV charging stations nationwide. As reported by the Government Accountability Office in July, this initiative has resulted in the construction of only 384 charging ports at 68 stations across 16 states since November 2021, representing less than 0.2 percent of the approximately 219,000 public EV charging ports currently in operation.
In a related trend, Vermont suspended its electric vehicle mandate in May, as consumers continued to favor gas-powered vehicles, as reported by The Washington Free Beacon. Similarly, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware have either withdrawn, delayed, or reduced their plans to mandate EVs.
John Bozzella, President and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, commented to the Free Beacon, "The governors of those states understand what is happening. Not enough customers and insufficient charging for these unachievable EV sales requirements."
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