Governor ends California’s ‘electric vehicle mandate’ in the Commonwealth | Fairfax County

Virginia will be the first of 13 states to opt out of California’s vehicle emissions standards and ban on gas-powered vehicles. States may choose to either follow federal law on the issue or adopt California’s stricter regulations.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares announced on June 5 that Virginia will exit California’s “electric vehicle mandate,” at the end of 2024, when new regulations from the California Air Resources Board go into effect.

“Once again, Virginia is declaring independence – this time from a misguided electric vehicle mandate imposed by unelected leaders nearly 3,000 miles away from the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said. “The idea that (a) government should tell people what kind of car they can or can’t purchase is fundamentally wrong.”

This announcement follows Younkin’s continued efforts to remove Virginia from the green energy policy established by former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration. In 2021, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation authorizing Virginia’s Air Pollution Control Board to adopt California’s regulations, in line with the federal Clean Air Act.

Virginia Senate Democrats in January defeated “Republican efforts to repeal an electric vehicle mandate that aims to reduce carbon pollution through the adoption of California’s stringent rules for vehicle emissions” for the third year in a row, according to an article from the Associated Press.

“It has been a consistent effort to liberate Virginians from these mandates,” Youngkin said during the June 5 press conference. “The rules and laws that Virginians live by should, in fact, be enacted by Virginians.”

Under California’s regulations, 22% of vehicles sold in Virginia in 2025 would have to be electric vehicles. That would increase to 35% in 2026 and, by 2035, 100% of new vehicles sold in the state would have to be solely powered by electricity.

“If an auto manufacturer sells a standard automobile out of compliance with California’s mandate, they may be required to pay a fine upwards of $20,000 per vehicle sold,” according to a news release from the governor’s office.

The new release goes on to state that electric vehicles only accounted for 9% of vehicles sold across Virginia in 2023.

“(Electric vehicle) mandates, like California’s, are unworkable and out of touch with reality, and thankfully the law does not bind us to their regulations,” Miyares said. “California does not control which cars Virginians buy and any thoughts that automobile manufacturers should face millions of dollars in civil penalties rather than allowing our citizens to choose their own vehicles is completely absurd.”

This decision aims to save money for car dealerships and their customers while allowing more freedom to purchase and sell vehicles in the state. According to a news release from the governor’s office, senators and delegates from across Virginia praised Youngkin for ending California’s mandates on vehicle emissions standards.

“Virginians deserve the freedom to choose which vehicles best fit the needs of their families and businesses,” Youngkin said. “The law is clear, and I am proud to announce Virginians will no longer be forced to live under this out-of-touch policy.”