The US Senate has canceled California's decision to abandon gasoline cars
On Thursday, May 22, the U.S. Senate blocked California's plan to phase out the sale of new gasoline-powered cars. This has triggered a lawsuit that could affect the electric vehicle market in the US, writes The New York Times.
The bill, supported by 51 votes to 44, would revoke a permit granted to California by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under former President Joe Biden, that required at least 80% of cars sold by 2035 to be electric.
The cancellation of California's plan to switch to electric vehicles will have implications for the entire country. After all, 11 other states, including New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, and New Mexico, have decided to stop selling gasoline-powered cars by 2035. Together, they account for about 40% of the US automotive market.
The vote is a victory for Republicans, energy companies, and automakers who opposed the plan.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Stellantis, and others, highly praised voting.
"The fact is that these electric vehicle sales requirements were never achievable," said John Bozzella, the group's CEO .
"In fact, compliance would require diverting endowment from the transition to electric vehicles to buy compliance credits from Tesla," he added .
California authorities promised to appeal the Senate vote and try to reinstate the ban. According to Governor Gavin Newsom, blocking the plan will help China in the race to improve transportation technology.
"This is about our economy, our health, our global competitiveness," Newsom, a Democrat, said at a press conference, standing behind a sign that read "The Trump Republican Party is making America smog again.".
"This is about, Donald Trump, our national security and our ability to continue to innovate and outperform competitors around the world," he addressed the US President.
Governor calls Senate decision illegal, adding that lawmakers' actions will cost California taxpayers $45 billion in additional health care costs.
According to of the International Energy Agency (IEA), electric vehicles, including hybrids, accounted for about 10% of new car sales in the United States in 2024.
In the first quarter of 2025, the level of sales of electric vehicles in California, which is the largest market for electric vehicles in the United States, increased by 35%. At the same time, Tesla registrations fell by 15%.
- In April 2025, it became known that the state of California became the fourth largest economy in the world, overtaking Japan.
