California Is Crafting a Rebuttal to Emissions Deregulations originally appeared on Autoblog.
California is fighting back
The State of California is making a clear-cut response to the Trump administration’s push to strip it of its authority to create distinct emissions policies. On August 19, regulators in the Golden State announced a sweeping set of priorities to keep the state’s clean air goals on track—even as the current administration attempts to dismantle them.
“Clean air efforts are under siege, putting the health of every American at risk,” said Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), per The Hill. “California is continuing to fight back and will not give up on cleaner air and better public health — we have a legal and moral obligation.”
Randolph's statement comes as the board released a report prepared at the request of an executive order that Governor Gavin Newsom signed back in June, which asked it to find ways to counter the federal government’s agenda while also promoting the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). This report in question acts as both a policy roadmap and a sign of clear intent that California wants to keep its ambitious climate goals alive, even if the federal government isn’t on board.
CARB wants California to foot the bill for EV subsidies
The report laid out several priority areas, but they all have a central theme: reducing the state’s reliance on pollution-emitting transportation. A major focus of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is to ensure that private investment continues to support the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) market. As part of this plan, the Board recommends maintaining California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which reduces the carbon intensity of fuels and decreases reliance on petroleum, with the goal of improving air quality.
Additionally, CARB suggested that state lawmakers consider providing alternatives when the federal clean vehicle tax credits expire on September 30, which could involve California offering rebates or vouchers for consumers who purchase electric vehicles (EVs). CARB also proposed creating an educational pipeline for high-paying jobs in clean transportation and finding ways to reinstate access to HOV lanes for ZEVs. The report highlighted the need for collaborative charging and refueling networks, electric bill credits for EV charging, and regional cooperation on the Western power grid to reduce hydrogen costs.
Moreover, CARB also seeks to enhance consumer assurance measures for ZEVs, reduce pollution from indirect sources such as warehouses and railyards, and expand ZEV purchases for state and local government fleets. According to Randolph, these recommendations will help ensure California "stays on track to meet its air quality and climate goals."
Trump's rollbacks fuel California’s push
The timing of California’s response comes as President Trump signed three congressional resolutions that revoked California’s authority to set stricter emissions standards—an authority it originally had as part of the Clean Air Act.
Among the revoked rules were Advanced Clean Cars II, a set of regulations that would have required all new cars sold in California and in states that adopted them to be zero-emissions by 2035, and the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which required that 7.5% of heavy-duty vehicles be emissions-free the same year. Also reversed was the Omnibus Regulation, which was intended to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
The reversal has triggered immediate action. Last week, four major truck manufacturers sued the Golden State over the latter two rules. Not long after, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) then declared a voluntary “Clean Truck Partnership” between the state and those companies “unenforceable.” As if that wasn’t enough, the Department of Justice said on August 15 that it would sue California as part of what it described as President Trump’s commitment to “end the electric vehicle (EV) mandate.”
California says that the market is already moving
Despite the legal fights, Randolph said that regardless of the federal government’s actions, the State of California will continue “to fight hard for the emissions reductions that can easily be achieved in the heavy-duty sector and are already being achieved.” Referring to the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, she added: “The actual adoption is way ahead of the compliance obligation in that regulation. The market is there, and the market is moving.”
CARB is also preparing for the future, beginning the process of updating its Advanced Clean Cars program. Since rulemaking can take two to four years, the idea is to be ready if a future administration is more supportive. She added, “The world is accelerating forward toward cleaner vehicle technologies and is going to watch the U.S. fade into the rearview mirror.”
Final thoughts
From a politically savvy perspective, it wouldn't be hard to expect the current administration to respond to these actions, even if they aren't on paper just yet. At least, the idea that the $7,500 federal EV tax credit could continue as a state-led venture is a positive in a state where such vehicles thrive.
Overall, it is essential to note that not only is California influential for EV adoption, but that the 17 other U.S. states beyond the Golden State have adopted CARB rules follow suit. Already, Advanced Clean Cars II has been picked up by 11 of the 17 states that have adopted CARB emissions standards, including Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
California Is Crafting a Rebuttal to Emissions Deregulations first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 19, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
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