The Trump administration on Thursday filed a new lawsuit against California over its strict limits on planet-warming pollution from cars, arguing that the restrictions would unlawfully force a rapid transition to electric vehicles in the state.
The suit comes roughly nine months after the Republican-controlled Congress moved to block California from banning sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035. It targets clean car rules that California has continued to enforce even after the congressional action.
“Gavin Newsom is determined to continue pushing Democrats’ radical E.V. fantasy — even if doing so is illegal,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement, referring to Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, a Democrat and frequent critic of President Trump.
Representatives for Governor Newsom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration has systematically moved to slash federal support for electric vehicles, which do not emit any planet-warming pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency has erased limits on greenhouse gases from vehicle tailpipes, and Mr. Trump signed a law last year eliminating a tax credit of up to $7,500 available to people who purchase a new electric car.
California, one of the largest car markets in the world, is suing the Trump administration in federal court to defend its authority to ban sales of gas cars. In the meantime, the California Air Resources Board, the state’s powerful air and climate regulator, has continued to enforce stringent limits on greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles on the state’s roads.
In the lawsuit filed on Thursday, the Trump administration argued that California’s limits violated the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, which directed the federal government to set “uniform” clean car rules that applied to all 50 states.
Trump administration officials also argued on Thursday that California’s clean car rules were raising the prices of new vehicles, as the cost of living becomes a top concern for voters ahead of the midterm elections.
“Oppressive, expensive electric vehicle mandates drive up costs for American consumers and violate federal law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “California is using unlawful policies from the last administration to create exorbitant costs for their citizens.”
Experts agree that stricter tailpipe pollution rules can raise prices on new cars. But over time, they can encourage automakers to make more efficient gas vehicles that burn less fuel and save drivers money at the pump in the long term.
A spokeswoman for the California Air Resources Board declined to comment on pending litigation. Representatives for California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Maxine Joselow covers climate change and the environment for The Times from Washington.
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