California is revving up for a legal showdown after President Donald Trump signed resolutions on June 12, 2025, to repeal a Biden-era waiver that let the Golden State push for all-electric car sales by 2035.
In a nutshell, this story pits state autonomy against federal oversight, with Trump’s repeal of the waiver sparking an immediate lawsuit from California and ten other states, while the battle over electric vehicle (EV) mandates heats up in courtrooms and car lots alike, Just the News reported.
Let’s rewind to 2022, when California rolled out its Advanced Clean Cars II regulation, aiming for 100% electric car sales by 2035—a bold move that needed a special EPA waiver to enforce stricter-than-federal emission rules.
Fast forward to June 12, 2025, when President Trump put pen to paper, signing three resolutions under the Congressional Review Act to scrap that waiver, arguing it was a sneaky federal EV mandate in disguise.
California didn’t waste a second—moments after the ink dried, Attorney General Rob Bonta led a coalition of ten states in filing a lawsuit in the Northern District of California. “We will continue to fiercely defend ourselves from this lawless federal overreach,” Bonta declared. Sounds noble, but isn’t this the same state pushing rules that could ban gas cars for millions, regardless of what folks want to drive?
Governor Gavin Newsom chimed in, calling Trump’s move “the latest illegal action by a president who is a wholly-owned subsidiary of big polluters.” That’s a spicy jab, but let’s be real—working families might appreciate a choice at the dealership over a forced march to EV-only lots.
Here’s the lay of the land: 17 states, representing a huge chunk of the U.S. car market, have adopted at least part of California’s EV rules. In places like Colorado, New York, and Oregon, 14% of 2024 car sales were electric, compared to a measly 6% elsewhere.
California itself leads the pack, with EV sales hitting 25% of new cars by 2023, though that dipped to 24% in early 2025. To hit their 35% target by 2026, they’ll need a turbo boost in buyer enthusiasm—something not guaranteed when pure EV sales nationwide slid below 8% this year.
Nationally, light-duty EV and hybrid sales crept up to 22% in early 2025, largely thanks to hybrids, not pure electrics. Consumer demand seems stuck in neutral, despite the lofty goals of regulators.
The auto industry isn’t shedding tears over the repeal, either. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, through CEO John Bozzella, praised the House vote, saying it prevents “inevitable jobs and manufacturing fallout from these unachievable regulations.” That’s a polite way of saying the rules are a pipe dream when charging stations are scarce and buyers aren’t sold.
Even General Motors, which claims to dream of an “all-EV future” per CEO Mary Barra, just dropped $4 billion into gas-powered vehicle plants on June 10, 2025. Actions speak louder than slogans—it seems like even the big players know gas isn’t going away anytime soon.
Critics of California’s mandate, like Daniel Turner of Power the Future, called the waiver “a back-door federal EV mandate that working families didn’t want.” Hard to argue when many Americans still see EVs as pricey toys, not practical rides for the daily grind.
Now, the courts will decide if California can keep its waiver and force a gas-car ban post-2035, potentially reshaping the auto market for most of America. Energy analyst David Blackmon isn’t optimistic for the state, predicting, “The courts are going to rule against California in this.” He’s got a point—federal law has long held sway over air quality rules to avoid a patchwork mess for manufacturers.
If California loses, they’ll need a new playbook to chase their green dreams, as Blackmon suggests they’ll “have to find a different way to pursue their crazy agenda.” It’s a harsh take, but when mandates outpace reality, something’s got to give.
At the end of the day, this fight isn’t just about cars—it’s about who gets to steer the future of American roads. Will it be state capitals with ambitious targets, or a federal government pushing back against overreach? Buckle up, because this ride’s far from over.
