By David Shepardson
DETROIT (Reuters) – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is optimistic about the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approving its groundbreaking plan to phase out the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035.
CARB has requested a waiver from the EPA under the Clean Air Act to enforce its initiative, along with seven other waiver applications for various environmental regulations.
“We have clearly communicated our expectations for the EPA to grant these waivers,” stated CARB Executive Officer Steven Cliff during a Reuters Next conference in Detroit. “Without these waivers, we cannot enforce the rule.”
An EPA spokesperson mentioned that the agency is diligently reviewing all of California’s waiver requests in accordance with the Clean Air Act.
California’s regulations, adopted by multiple states, dictate that 80% of new vehicles sold in the state must be electric by 2035, with a maximum of 20% plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
The rules will be implemented starting in the 2026 model year and are projected to reduce smog-causing emissions from light-duty vehicles by 25% by 2037. The plan also mandates that 35% of new vehicles sold must be electric or plug-in hybrid by 2026, increasing to 68% by 2030 and reaching 100% by 2035.
Cliff emphasized the significance of obtaining the waivers to comply with federal clean air requirements, stating, “Without these waivers, we would face significant challenges in meeting our Clean Air Act obligations.”
While automakers have expressed doubts about California’s 2035 objectives in the past, the state has also submitted waiver requests for locomotives, off-road engines, commercial harbor craft, clean fleet, and transport refrigeration units.
Cliff underscored the EPA’s commitment to processing the waiver requests, holding hearings, and considering public feedback. “This is a top priority for the governor and for me to secure these waivers,” he added.
In April, a U.S. court upheld the EPA’s decision to grant California a waiver to establish its own tailpipe emissions limits and electric-vehicle requirements through 2025. Over the past five decades, the EPA has approved more than 100 waivers for California, according to Cliff.
In April, the EPA finalized new emissions regulations, reducing its target for electric vehicle adoption from 67% by 2032 to as low as 35%.