California Governor Gavin Newsom has vowed to resist President Trump’s rollback of auto-emission standards, citing the state’s commitment to meeting its greenhouse gas reduction targets and maintaining its leadership in clean air efforts. The move comes after a series of controversial congressional votes in May, which nullified several California auto-emission standards.
The new report, authored by state officials, proposes several strategies to boost zero-emission vehicle adoption and reduce tailpipe emissions in communities dealing with poor air quality. These include finding state funding to restore subsidies for zero-emission vehicles and exploring financial incentives to make electric-vehicle charging less expensive.
California’s cap-and-trade program, which generates $4 billion annually, is being considered as a potential source of new zero-emission vehicle incentives. The report also calls on the California Public Utilities Commission to expand and maintain the state’s electric-vehicle charging network, despite broken charge ports and long wait times.
Environmental advocates say that California must continue to adopt innovative regulations within its own authority to meet its climate goals. Governor Newsom’s executive order in June instructed the California Air Resources Board to begin drafting Advanced Clean Cars III, a potential replacement for the overturned regulation.
“We will not give up on cleaner air and better public health,” said Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board. “California is continuing to fight back and will lead the way towards cleaner vehicle technologies.”
Source: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-08-19/california-officials-release-report-on-zero-emission-vehicle-goals