Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is leading a coalition of 25 states in filing a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s new emissions regulations. The regulations aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from lightweight vehicles and promote the sale of electric vehicles (EVs). The lawsuit argues that the new emissions rule exceeds the agency’s statutory authority.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed the new rules to cut tailpipe emissions from cars and light trucks by almost 50 percent by 2032, relative to 2026 levels. The transportation sector is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, with light-duty vehicles accounting for about 58 percent of these emissions. The EPA believes that reducing emissions from motor vehicles will lead to significant improvements in public health and welfare.
However, the attorneys general in the coalition argue that the new emissions standards are unrealistic and demonstrate the administration’s capitulation to environmental activists. They see it as a move towards a socialist regime that forces the public to purchase products they neither want nor can afford. They believe that the market should determine the demand for electric vehicles, not government mandates.
The EPA suggests that the industry could meet the standards if 56 percent of new vehicle sales are electric by 2032. Currently, only around six percent of new vehicle sales are electric. The attorneys general argue that these requirements would cause significant losses for manufacturers and are asking the court to declare the EPA’s actions unlawful.
This is not the first time Republican attorneys general have challenged the Biden administration’s climate agenda through legal means. They have previously filed lawsuits to block regulations on carbon emissions disclosure, state-level emissions reduction targets, and California’s authority to set its own emission standards.
A recent Gallup survey shows that fewer Americans are considering buying an electric vehicle. Only 35 percent said they might consider buying an EV, down from 43 percent in 2023. Additionally, 48 percent said they would not buy an electric vehicle, up from 41 percent the previous year.
The coalition of attorneys general believes that the Biden administration’s push for electric vehicles and emissions regulations is out of touch with the American people. They argue that it goes against the principles of the free market and forces consumers to purchase products they do not want. The lawsuit filed by the coalition aims to challenge the EPA’s new emissions rule and protect Americans from what they see as outrageous standards.
