Harrisonburg- On Monday, Delegate Tony Wilt filed legislation to untangle Virginia from the California Vehicle Emissions Standard, Advanced Clean Cars II. This standard eventually calls for 100% of new passenger cars, light duty trucks and SUVs sold to be zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) by 2035. Practically speaking this will eliminate the allowable sale of internal combustion engine vehicles and require all new vehicles sold to be predominantly electric.
“Despite having carried the repeal legislation for the last two years, I continue to hear new evidence nearly every day that sets off major alarm bells that this unworkable standard is not going to accomplish its purposes and will only harm consumers, businesses, and our economy,” stated Wilt. “There have been new concerns brought to light about the ability of our public safety personnel to navigate this mandate, stories every day about the underwhelming demand for EVs nationwide, plus
the longstanding issues about the high upfront costs, ability of the grid to handle the increased demand, and the access to adequate charging infrastructure. While I acknowledge Democrats will have slim majorities in both chambers, I encourage all my colleagues to have the courage to recognize that al-world impact that will harm
Virginians. Let’s stop pretending we are going to force consumers to purchase something they don’t want to buy, and that our grid and other infrastructure are anywhere close to being ready to accommodate the opening 35% sales mandate, much less the 100% we face in just over a decade. It is past time to pull the plug on this big government monstrosity.”
In 2021, the then Democratic controlled General Assembly passed legislation requiring Virginia to follow California’s vehicle emissions standard. While at the time that standard did not culminate in requiring 100% of new vehicles sold to be ZEVs, in August of 2022 the California Air Resources Board updated their standard to the more stringent Advanced Clean Cars II. Starting with model year 2026, 35% of new vehicles sold must be zero emissions and that percentage steadily increases every
year thereafter until reaching the 100% requirement for the 2035 model year. Virginia is obligated to follow this more aggressive mandate unless the legislature intervenes to roll it back.
Delegate Wilt carried similar legislation in both the 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions. While the bills passed the House, they fell short by one vote in Senate committee. He’s hopeful the impending implementation of the requirement could sway some lawmakers that may have previously supported the mandate. Governor Youngkin has repeatedly called for a repeal of the standard.
