NJBIA Deputy Chief Government Affairs Officer Ray Cantor issued the following statement regarding today’s passage in the House of Representatives of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution aimed at overturning the U.S. EPA waiver authorizing California’s Advanced Clean Cars II ban on sales of new gas, diesel and traditional hybrid vehicles.
New Jersey is one of 13 states that has committed to adopting the ACC II ban, which mandates that no new gas-powered cars be purchased in the Garden State by the year 2035, with targeted annual requirements of electric vehicle sales starting for model year 2027.
His recent op-ed urged the state Department of Environmental Protection to tap the brakes on the EV mandate, by stalling the penalties that auto companies will face starting next year (model year 2027) when the EV targets are not made.
“This positive House vote is a vote for common sense. We can work, and are working, toward reducing carbon emissions. But as we have said for nearly two years now, the ban on gas-powered cars in such an expedited time frame has never been feasible or practical or affordable.
“The general public, in New Jersey and nationwide, knows that states adopting this rule will place a heavy strain on the limited resources of families, businesses, government and our utilities.
“This California mandate cannot and should not cripple our communities and businesses in our state, exacerbate income inequality in our state, and remove our basic freedoms of choice. We contend it should have never been authorized.
“We thank the members of the House on both sides of the aisle who voted to overturn California’s ban on sales of new gas cars. We urge the Senate to also approve the CRA resolutions and get the final measure to the President’s desk.”
