California air quality regulators are opposed to a recent advertising campaign launched by new car dealers who argue that a strict zero emissions target could destroy the Golden State economy.
Proof your campaignCalifornia's New Automobile Dealer Association initiative is against California's Advanced Clean Car II The rules will end new gas-powered car sales by 2035.
“The Calibrate Media campaign is the latest attempt in the automotive industry to undermine California's public health goals by creating artificial crisis and misleading consumers,” the California Air Resources Board (CARB) said. 5 page rebuttal fact sheet.
The pioneering advanced Clean Cars II rules received the controversial Go-Anead from the Biden administration in December. This is the necessary step for California to implement stricter federal emission standards.
California can set such standards due to provisions of the 1970 Clean Air Act written within the historic smog conditions of the Los Angeles area. However, to do so, the Golden State must first apply the exemption to the Environmental Protection Agency. Only then can other states follow suit.
The Biden administration approved the exemption in December, but President Trump has long vowed to revoke such a permit that was granted.
However, because it is in its current state, the Advanced Clean Cars II allows California to require 35% of the new cars sold in the state in 2026 to have zero emissions. It was 68% in 2030 and 100% in 2035.
Opposed to the rules, California's New Automotive Dealers Association said the campaign “advocates for a more rational and balanced transition to zero-emission vehicles.”
An announcement, released alongside the campaign, justified this stance with the argument that sales of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) increased by just 1% in 2024.
“We are fully supporting California's leadership in California's clean transportation,” says Brian Mars, president of the California New Car Dealer Association. said in a statement. “The state has made incredible progress, but it's not the answer that it forces consumers to buy zero-emission vehicles before they're ready.”
“Consumer demand is not a mission, but only EV-only automakers will reach the state's 35% threshold in the next model year,” he added.
Mars argued that without stopping the rules in place, the state could face “severe economic consequences in a few months.”
New vehicle dealers noted that if they do not comply with the regulations, they will have a $20,000 penalty per unintegrated vehicle not sold. Meanwhile, the campaign says new car sales today generate $13 billion annually in state and local tax revenues.
Dealers also cited existing infrastructure gaps, highlighting that California needed 1.2 million chargers by 2035, and that today only 150,000.
Depending on the campaign, carbohydrate fact sheets have tried to refute many of the campaign's claims or provide relevant context.
Carbohydrates explained the 1% increase in ZEV vehicle sales over the past year as “a limited period of growth is a typical expected part of the technology adoption cycle that has occurred three times over the past 13 years.”
Regarding the $20,000 fine per behind-the-shelf, “Manufacturers will only be subject to such significant fines and penalties if they have evidence of intentional, fraudulent or criminal effort that violates California law.”
CARB has highlighted that the state has allocated funds to tackle charging issues and ensure that sufficient stations are deployed to meet the needs of electric vehicle (EV) drivers over the next few years.
“The state's funding focuses on deploying infrastructure in hard-to-reach and low-income areas, including dedicating tens of millions of people to build chargers in townhouses and apartment complexes,” the factsheet said.
The long document from carbohydrates mentioned several other arguments made by the Calibrate campaign, including claims that it is impossible to achieve the 2026 EV sales target.
“This is inaccurate. Sales are at a pace and automakers are flexible enough to meet California's goals,” the agency said.
The CARB said that most manufacturers are on track to meet ZEV sales requirements in opposition to campaigns that the rules take on state businesses and the economy as a whole, and that the state has been working closely with the industry for decades.
Describing Calibrate's claim as a “end-end scenario” following a “false story,” he rejected the idea that carbohydrates lead to extreme business decisions to stop selling.
“Carbohydrates continue to work closely with manufacturers to ensure programme success and continue to commit to expanding flexibility to individual companies as needed,” the agency added.
In a statement to the hill, Carbohydrate Chair Leanne M. Randolph said, “This latest attack, which threatens to withhold supply from the country's largest auto market based on a false narrative of compliance, is a misfortune and false attempt to create an artificial crisis that undermines California's public health targets.”
Updated at 4:03pm.
