"A lawsuit argues that the state’s regulations would illegally force a rapid transition to electric vehicles."
"The Trump administration on Thursday filed a new lawsuit against California over its strict limits on planet-warming pollution from cars, arguing that the restrictions would unlawfully force a rapid transition to electric vehicles in the state.
The suit comes roughly nine months after the Republican-controlled Congress moved to block California from banning sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035. It targets clean car rules that California has continued to enforce even after the congressional action and, if successful, could reverberate far beyond California. Across the country, 17 states representing more than a third of the American automobile market follow California’s lead on clean car standards.
“Gavin Newsom is determined to continue pushing Democrats’ radical E.V. fantasy — even if doing so is illegal,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement, referring to Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, a Democrat and frequent critic of President Trump.
Anthony Martinez, a spokesman for Governor Newsom, called the lawsuit “meritless.”"
Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman report for the New York Times March 12, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"Trump Administration Sues California Over The State’s Nation-Leading Vehicle-Emission Rules" (AP)
