California air quality regulators are pushing back against a recent ad campaign launched by new-car dealers, which maintain that stringent zero-emissions targets could ravage the Golden State's economy.
The Calibrate campaign, an initiative of the California New Car Dealers Association, is raising opposition to California's Advanced Clean Cars II rule, which would bring an end to new gas-powered car sales by 2035.
"The Calibrate media campaign is the auto industry’s latest attempt to undermine California’s public health goals by creating an artificial crisis and misleading consumers," the California Air Resources Board (CARB) stated in a five-page rebuttal fact sheet.
The trailblazing Advanced Clean Cars II rule received a controversial go-ahead from the Biden administration in December — a step required in order for California to implement stricter-than-federal emissions standards.
California can set such standards due to a clause in the 1970 Clean Air Act, written amid historic smog conditions in the Los Angeles region. But to do so, the Golden State must first apply to the Environmental Protection Agency for a waiver — and only then can other states follow suit.
While the Biden administration approved the waiver in December, President Trump has long been vowing to revoke any such permissions granted.
But as it currently stands, the Advanced Clean Cars II allows California to require that 35 percent of new cars sold in the state in 2026 be zero-emissions — 68 percent in 2030 and 100 percent in 2035.
In its opposition to the rule, the California New Car Dealers Association said that its Calibrate campaign advocates "for a more reasonable and balanced transition to zero-emission vehicles."
An announcement issued alongside the campaign justified this stance with the argument that sales of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) increased just 1 percent in 2024, compared to 46 percent growth in past years.
“We fully support California’s leadership in clean transportation,” Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Association, said in a statement. “The state has made incredible progress, but forcing consumers to buy zero-emission vehicles before they’re ready isn’t the answer."
“Consumer demand isn’t keeping pace with the mandate, and only EV-exclusive automakers will hit the state’s 35% threshold in the upcoming model year," he added.
Maas argued that without stopping the rule's implementation, the state could face "serious economic consequences in a matter of months."
The new-car dealers noted that failure to comply with the rule comes with a penalty of $20,000 per noncompliant vehicle sold. Meanwhile, new-car sales today generate $13 billion annually in state and local tax revenue, according to the campaign.
The dealers also cited an existing infrastructural gap, stressing that California needs 1.2 million chargers by 2035 and only has 150,000 today.
In response to the campaign, the CARB fact sheet attempted to refute many of the campaign's claims or provide relevant context.
Regarding the 1 percent increase in ZEV car sales in the past year, CARB explained that "periods of limited growth are a typical, expected part of the technology adoption cycle, which has happened three times in the past 13 years."
As for the $20,000-per-vehicle fine, the fact sheet said, "Manufacturers are only subject to such significant fines and penalties when there is evidence of deliberate, fraudulent, and criminal efforts to violate California laws."
Addressing the charging issue, CARB stressed that the state has funding earmarked to ensure that sufficient stations are deployed to meet the needs of electric vehicle (EV) drivers in the coming years.
"State funding is focused on deploying infrastructure in hard-to-reach and low-income areas including dedicating tens of millions to build chargers at townhouse and apartment complexes," the fact sheet stated.
The lengthy document from CARB referred to several other arguments made by the Calibrate campaign, including the assertion that it will not be possible to meet 2026 EV sales goals.
"This is inaccurate. Sales are on pace and car manufacturers have ample flexibility to meet California’s targets," the agency stated.
Countering the campaign's claims about the toll the rule would take on the state's businesses and overall economy, CARB said most manufacturers are on track to meet ZEV sales requirements and that the state has been working closely with the industry for decades.
Describing Calibrate's assertions as a "doomsday scenario" that follows a "false narrative," CARB rejected the idea that the rule would lead to extreme business decisions to stop sales.
"CARB remains committed to continuing to work closely with manufacturers to ensure the success of the program and will extend flexibility to individual companies as needed," the agency added.
In a statement to The Hill, CARB Chair Liane M. Randolph said, "This latest attack threatening to withhold supply from the nation’s largest car market based on false narratives about compliance is an unfortunate, misleading attempt to create an artificial crisis that undermines California’s public health goals."
Updated at 4:03 pm EDT.