President Donald Trump officially struck down California’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate on Thursday, reversing a key environmental policy that had been adopted by over a third of the U.S. auto market.
With the stroke of a pen, Trump signed three Congressional Review Act resolutions that dismantle California’s EV plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035—effectively freeing the U.S. auto industry from what he called a “destructive” mandate.
“We officially rescue the U.S. auto industry from destruction by terminating the California electric vehicle mandate once and for all,” Trump declared during a White House announcement. “They passed these crazy rules in California, and the automakers didn’t know what to do.”
California’s mandate had been embraced by 11 other states, effectively putting pressure on automakers nationwide to comply. Under President Joe Biden, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had granted waivers allowing California to set its own emissions regulations. Trump’s action rolls back those waivers, curbing California’s authority to impose EV requirements on the rest of the country.
.@POTUS: “We officially rescue the U.S. auto industry from destruction by terminating the California electric vehicle mandate ONCE AND FOR ALL.” 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zOVvF5DKyF
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47)