Because California’s emissions regulations — they were created to combat the state’s notorious smog — predate the EPA, the state was grandfathered in with the ability to set more stringent emissions requirements than the federal standard so long as the EPA grants a waiver for each such requirement.
The ban would have required that 35% of cars in model year 2026 be qualifying zero-emissions vehicles, which allows for a large share of plug-in hybrid models, in addition to the now ubiquitous battery-electric vehicles, and rare hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. In California, which has the nation’s largest EV charging network and highest EV adoption rates, ZEV sales declined from 22% in the last quarter of 2024 to 20.8% in the first quarter of 2025, suggesting buyers are becoming less enthusiastic about purchasing electric vehicles.
Given that the 2026 model year is already under way for many automakers, a ZEV increase from 20.8% to 35% would have required a 68% increase in ZEV market share within the year, leading Toyota to call California’s requirement “impossible to meet.”
Automakers would have had to either restrict the inventory of non-qualifying vehicles, as Jeep has done in the past, purchase costly excess credits from automakers with excess ZEV credits such as Tesla or Rivian, or pay a $10,000 fine for each car they sell that doesn’t meet the requirement.
Given that the 2026 model year is already under way for many automakers, a ZEV increase from 20.8% to 35% would have required a 68% increase in ZEV market share within the year, leading Toyota to call California’s requirement “impossible to meet.”
Automakers would have had to either restrict the inventory of non-qualifying vehicles, as Jeep has done in the past, purchase costly excess credits from automakers with excess ZEV credits such as Tesla or Rivian, or pay a $10,000 fine for each car they sell that doesn’t meet the requirement.
Im kinda torn on this one. the congress should rescue the voters of california who keep on electing democrats. the voters should have to endure the consequences of their electing morons.
ReplyDeleteBut on the other hand the fedgov should never have allowed California to set their own pollution standards for vehicles. and then when California banned the registration of heavy trucks build before 2004, that was flat out unconstitutional , and I was really dissipointed the truckers didnt go on strike.
the truckers could easily be THE most politically powerful group of people in the country if they would just stick together.
they dont even have to strike in a large area, just certain congressionsl districts, when a certain congress district no longer receives food or fuel and no business or residence receives packages of any kind, that congress critter would change their tune in a hurry.
its always bugged me that the fedgov thinks its fine if illegal migrants break federal law, but then the fedgov arrests people for modifying the emission systems on diesel engines.
why do certain groups get to break any law they want and get rewarded with free handouts for doing it, while other americans get arrested for breaking a law?
the govt never wastes time on people with zero money. Since its always going to mean arrest and release, and wasting budgets on the food and whatnot in jail/prison of about 30 to 40k a year.
DeleteBut if the people have something to lose? Then the govt has something to gain, and something to take with only the time it takes to get a piece of paper signed.
I never thought about that specific issue you brought up, that's a real face slapping waker upper... The fed govt arrests guys for making smoke, and screwing with EPA BS engine stuff... but has been seen to help illegals get out of the water and into a dry voters registration paper when Biden was in office. https://www.reuters.com/world/migrants-cross-into-texas-undeterred-by-razor-wire-or-new-asylum-rules-2023-09-28/