Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to develop new vehicle emissions regulations after Congress revoked California’s vehicle emissions waiver.
Executive Order N-27-25 directs CARB to “develop and propose an Advanced Clean Cars III regulation consistent with State and federal law that reduces greenhouse gas, criteria air pollutant, and toxic emissions from passenger cars and light-duty trucks, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.”
The regulations are to “advance progress towards the deployment of clean air vehicles and technologies in the State, as an additional measure to build on existing regulations or as an alternative measure for deployment if the federal disapprovals of the Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks, and Heavy-Duty Omnibus regulations are not invalidated in court.”
The order also directs CARB to track car and truck manufacturers that still follow the state’s ZEV sales targets for potential incentives for ZEV purchases.
The order came the same day that President Donald Trump signed into law three resolutions that revoke California’s vehicle emissions waiver, including the waiver that allows the state to end the sale of new gasoline-fueled or diesel-fueled passenger cars and trucks by 2035.
Newsom’s order reaffirms California’s “commitment to accelerate the deployment of zero-emission technologies, including passenger, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, consistent with the deployment targets and other actions directed in Executive Order N-79-20…”
The order also directed CARB, the California Energy Commission (CEC), Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), and Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) to recommend “additional actions to advance progress on light-, medium-, and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle adoption in California…” This would include strategies to increase consumer protections, address issues in charging and refueling infrastructure, and partner with international and multistate governments and coalitions.
(See California’s Energy Transition from Oil State to Fossil Free: Introduction Part Four—Auto Emissions.)