Newsom Makes Move On Electric Vehicle Regulation

Governor Gavin Newsom’s electric vehicle (EV) mandates, once hailed as a cornerstone of California’s “green revolution,” are now unraveling under the weight of political reality, legal challenges, and literal flames. On December 18, the Biden administration’s EPA granted California a waiver to enforce its sweeping mandate phasing out new gas-powered cars by 2035. Just weeks later, Newsom is withdrawing his request to enforce several key regulations, a telling sign of political desperation as the incoming Trump administration prepares to take the reins.

Let’s start with the facts: Newsom’s grand plan required 35% of all new cars sold in California by 2026 to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), eventually scaling up to 100% by 2035. This mandate, coupled with stringent emissions reductions for heavy-duty trucks, was part of California’s effort to position itself as the national leader in the war against climate change. Predictably, it was cheered on by environmental activists and progressive media. But what the headlines often ignored was the economic wrecking ball these policies were swinging at the backbone of commerce, transportation, and working-class Californians.

Truckers and small business owners have been some of the most vocal opponents of these mandates. The California Trucking Association repeatedly warned that the state’s Advanced Clean Fleets Rule was “unachievable,” pointing out that electric and hydrogen-powered big rigs are not a practical solution for long-haul operations. These mandates weren’t just impractical—they were catastrophic for an industry that forms the bedrock of California’s economy and the national supply chain. The lawsuits came fast and furious, with truckers, attorneys general from 24 states, and industry leaders filing challenges against the mandates for being technologically and economically unfeasible.

Then came the wildfires.

Southern California has been ravaged by fires that have devastated communities like Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and Malibu. Newsom’s “climate change” rhetoric, once used to justify his radical EV agenda, is now ringing hollow. As Californians watch their homes, businesses, and entire neighborhoods go up in smoke, they are questioning why the governor has spent years prioritizing progressive virtue-signaling over practical governance. The irony is painfully obvious: whatever environmental “gains” Newsom claimed his policies would achieve have literally gone up in flames.

The optics for Newsom couldn’t be worse. He’s been seen addressing the public in front of smoldering ruins, blaming climate change, while his handpicked California Air Resources Board (CARB) attempts to withdraw EV and emissions regulations that were politically unsustainable from the start. Newsom’s once-unshakeable confidence in his green agenda now looks more like damage control. Even CARB Chair Liane Randolph’s statement hints at panic: “Withdrawal is an important step given the uncertainty presented by the incoming administration that previously attacked California’s programs.”

Translation? Newsom and his team know their regulatory empire is about to collapse under a Trump administration that campaigned on dismantling California’s outsized influence on national environmental policy. Newsom’s attempt to “Trump-proof” his state has clearly failed.

And Californians know it. The climate change talking points—paired with slogans about “saving the environment” and “protecting the children”—are falling on deaf ears. Why? Because these policies have only served to exacerbate California’s existing crises. The state’s crumbling infrastructure, unchecked homelessness, unaffordable housing, and spiraling crime rates have all worsened under Newsom’s watch. And now, with tens of thousands displaced by wildfires, Californians are more focused on rebuilding their lives than indulging in progressive fantasies.

Half the country rejected California’s EV blueprint when Biden tried to apply it nationally, and with good reason. It threatens commerce, destroys livelihoods, and undermines the supply chain. Newsom’s green agenda, cloaked in the guise of environmental heroism, has revealed itself to be a costly, ineffective, and deeply unpopular experiment.

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