Major automakers said this week that a California plan to end the sale of gas-only vehicles by 2035 might be unworkable in 11 other states, citing insufficient consumer demand.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents most major automakers except Tesla, raised concerns in comments filed Wednesday with the Environmental Protection Agency on California’s proposal.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) asked the EPA for a waiver under the Clean Air Act to implement its plan to end sales of gas-only vehicles by 2035.
The state’s EV requirements might be feasible “at least in the early years for California” but the feasibility for other states with significantly lower current EV sales “is far less certain,” the industry group said.
The onus for complying with the rules rests with automakers, but it is unclear “whether customers in each jurisdiction will accept (zero-emission vehicle) technologies and purchase them in sufficient quantities. These are largely beyond the control of automakers,” the group that represents General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and others said.
CARB said in response: “States that have adopted California’s program understand that clean cars improve public health and address a global challenge.”
The alliance said that in order to meet the 2035 goals of electric, plug-in electric hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, sales will need to more than double in all but one state adopting California’s rules. They would need to triple in five.
The EPA did not immediately comment.
Separately, the American Petroleum Institute, another industry group, urged the EPA to reject California’s plan, which it said represents “the ultimate regulatory intervention.”
President Joe Biden’s administration has avoided setting a date to phase out the sale of gasoline-only vehicles.
The EPA in April separately proposed rules to cut vehicle emissions through 2032, forecasting that 60% of new cars produced by automakers would need to be EVs by 2030 and 67% by 2032 to meet requirements. Reuters reported this month the EPA plans to soften yearly requirements through 2030.
California’s rules start in the 2026 model year and would cut smog-causing pollution from light-duty vehicles by 25% by 2037. They mandate that 35% of new cars sold must be electric or plug-in hybrid by 2026. That share rises to 68% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.
California’s rules require by 2035 that 80% of all new vehicles sold in the state be electric and no more than 20% plug-in hybrid electric.
Chrysler parent Stellantis said in December it would temporarily cut one shift at its Detroit assembly plant that builds Jeep sport utility vehicles, citing California EV regulations.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; editing by Cynthia Osterman and Matthew Lewis)
