President Trump’s Justice Department & Transportation Department Sue to Stop California’s Illegal EV Mandate

Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced that the Justice Department, on behalf of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has filed suit to stop California from imposing an illegal electric vehicle (EV) mandate through what are effectively state-specific mileage requirements for car manufacturers. Federal law prohibits individual states from adopting regulations related to fuel economy.

President Donald J. Trump and Secretary Duffy created the "Freedom Means Affordable Cars " initiative to save the American people $109 billion over the next five years and save families $1,000 on the average cost of a new vehicle by resetting NHTSA's corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. California's scheme would force carmakers to radically revamp their production lines nationwide to meet standards more stringent than the national standards adopted by NHTSA. The deviation would send car prices through the roof, restrict consumer choice, and undermine interstate commerce.

"Oppressive, expensive electric vehicle mandates drive up costs for American consumers and violate federal law," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "California is using unlawful policies from the last administration to create exorbitant costs for our citizens - this Department of Justice is proud to stand with President Trump and Secretary Duffy to bring litigation that will make life more affordable for American consumers."

"I was proud to stand alongside President Trump to unveil our plan to eliminate the Biden-Buttigieg EV mandate and allow auto manufacturers to produce cars American families actually want to buy at a more affordable price. But Gavin Newsom is determined to continue pushing Democrat's radical EV fantasy - even if doing so is illegal," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. "Newsom may not care about lowering costs, but President Trump does. I want to thank Attorney General Bondi for fighting to protect consumer choice and stop activist governors from destroying our manufacturing sector."

"This lawsuit continues ENRD's war on regulatory overreach by California that is set on undermining the national market for motor vehicles through unlawful state policies," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). "The state vehicle standards we are challenging today are preempted by federal law, just like the standards that were blocked by a court in our challenge to California's so-called Clean Truck Partnership."

"This litigation will help automakers design and produce cars and trucks to meet one federal fuel economy regulation. It was a mistake by Presidents Obama and Biden to enable California to set its own backdoor fuel economy policies, which have now spiraled into a costly patchwork quilt of individual state fuel economy requirements. This litigation will correct that misstep," said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison.

Read more about President Trump and Secretary Duffy's "Freedom Means Affordable Cars" initiative HERE.

Read the United States' complaint HERE.

Additional Information:

This case challenges the state's regulations as preempted under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which makes NHTSA the exclusive regulator of fuel economy in the United States.

The litigation involves defendants California's Air Resources Board and its executive officer in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.

ENRD filed the complaint.

The case number is 26-at-00450 in California.