California air regulators have postponed a Nov. 20 vote to reinstate Obama-era vehicle emission rules as a stopgap response to Congress’ revoking the state’s nation-leading electric vehicle sales mandates.
What happened: The California Air Resources Board on Friday removed an emergency item from the agency’s next meeting that would revert the state to Obama-era emissions rules for passenger cars and 2020 standards for diesel truck engines, spokesperson Lynda Lambert confirmed.
Lambert said in a statement that CARB delayed the vote to give staff more time to “consider public comments and stakeholder input.” The agency has not rescheduled the vote to a future meeting.
Why it matters: The delay comes as CARB is trying to clarify that the state still has the authority to certify vehicles sold within its borders. That question is up in the air after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans revoked EPA waivers in June that gave California the power to enforce annual EV sales targets for car and truck manufacturers, along with stricter standards on smog-forming nitrogen oxides for diesel truck engines.
