Youngkin to ditch California electric vehicle standards
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Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday that Virginia would no longer adhere to electric vehicle standards enacted by the California Air Resources Board.
The Virginia General Assembly in 2021 approved a plan for the state’s air board to adopt the standards, which required all new passenger vehicles sold in the commonwealth to be electric by 2035 — though 20% of those could be plug-in hybrids.
California’s requirements are set to expire in January 2025; a new set of regulations there augmented the plan and were approved for next year.
Instead of relying on those updated rules, Youngkin’s press release said the commonwealth will follow federal emissions standards after 2024.
The Republican governor used an opinion written by state Attorney General Jason Miyares as a basis for the decision.
“It is my opinion that the Board is not required to adopt California’s Advanced Clean Cars Program Il, including those regulations establishing standards related to low- and zero- emission vehicles,” Miyares wrote on June 4.
Democratic state Sen. Lamont Bagby (D–Henrico) expressed his frustration at the decision in a press release.
“This law, grounded in the federal Clean Air Act, empowered Virginia to join California and other states in enforcing stringent standards to combat tailpipe pollution. With the regulation now effective as of January 2024, it is deeply troubling to see the Governor undermine our critical efforts,” Bagby said.
