On the Dash:
- The federal government filed a lawsuit to block California’s stricter vehicle emissions standards.
- The challenge targets rules requiring increasing EV and hybrid sales through 2025.
- California gas prices averaged $5.37 per gallon versus a $3.60 national average.
The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit seeking to block California from enforcing vehicle emissions standards that are stricter than federal regulations, escalating a long-running dispute over the state’s authority to regulate tailpipe pollution.
The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California on behalf of the U.S. Department of Transportation, challenges California’s clean car rules that limit smog-causing pollutants and require automakers to sell more electric and hybrid vehicles each year through 2025.
Federal officials argue the state’s regulations conflict with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to establish uniform, nationwide fuel-economy standards.
California has been allowed since the 1960s to set its own emissions standards because of severe air quality issues. The rules have led to more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road and have increasingly pushed automakers toward hybrid and electric models as part of the state’s climate policies.
The legal challenge also follows a broader clash between federal and state policies on vehicle electrification. In 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted a rule aimed at banning the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. Congress voted last summer to revoke the federal Clean Air Act waiver that allowed the rule, along with two other waivers tied to clean truck standards.
California responded by filing its own lawsuit and issuing an emergency order to continue enforcing earlier emissions standards, a move the federal government now alleges violates federal law.
The dispute comes as fuel prices rise nationally. According to the American Automobile Association, the average price of gasoline in California reached $5.37 per gallon Thursday, compared with a national average of $3.60 per gallon. Prices have increased about 56 cents per gallon statewide and 35 cents nationally since last week, rising roughly 20% since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.
Federal officials have also moved to roll back mileage requirements and reduce federal incentives for electric vehicles.
