Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently declared that Virginia will no longer participate in Advanced Clean Cars Standards (ACCII) after the end of this year, despite the standards being adopted and twice reaffirmed by the Virginia General Assembly. The governor justified this harmful decision by citing an opinion from Attorney General Jason Miyares, who suddenly and inexplicably reversed his own decision declaring ACCII as law only two years ago, adding to the confusion as to how ACCII impacts the commonwealth.
The governor’s administration may be inconsistent in its interpretation of ACCII, but the vast benefits of the public policy remain the same. So let’s set the record straight on what ACCII is and isn’t.
First and foremost, the governor’s actions exhibit blatant disregard for not only the law, but also Virginians’ health, as Clean Cars Standards would enable Virginians to avoid nearly $30 billion in health care costs and 2,700 premature deaths due to tailpipe pollution. People who live in communities located near busy roadways are at greatest risk, as reported in the American Lung Association’s 2022 report, “Zeroing in on Healthy Air.” Families on the front lines of pollution need policy protections like the ACCII.
In 2020, when the General Assembly was considering legislation to adopt Clean Cars Standards, the Virginia Auto Dealers Association (VADA) sent a letter to key General Assembly members explicitly outlining what the commonwealth needed do in order to successfully meet the standards: “Virginia should be committing today no less than $720 million over the next five years to prepare and grow market demand for EVs … Virginia does not have any consumer vehicle purchase or infrastructure incentives in place to increase the adoption of EVs. Both of these are proven ways to grow customer interest in buying EVs.”
Yet no action was taken by the commonwealth, effectively hindering ACCII’s success and sending Virginians the message that maintaining the fossil fuel status quo trumps public health.
Despite VADA’s detailed plea for EV incentives and the General Assembly’s passage of the Virginia Electric Vehicle Rebate Program in 2021, the program remains unfunded. That’s a shame, because it was designed as one of the most equitable rebates in the country, and would have put an electric vehicle within reach of many families and individuals who otherwise could not afford one while providing the incentive that Virginia’s auto dealers need to successfully sell large numbers of EVs.
Let’s also address the dubious claim that ACCII reduces consumer choice. If the standards are repealed, residents will actually have restricted choice of vehicles, because automakers prioritize delivery of electric vehicles to states that have adopted ACCII. Those states make up a significant percentage of the automobile market, and manufacturers are producing vehicles that align with the standards right off the bat.
In fact, many automakers have their own electrification goals; e.g., GM plans to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new passenger vehicles by 2035. So Virginia reversing its decision to be a Clean Cars state won’t bring back the fossil fuel Silverado or Camaro. That decision has already been made by GM.
Advanced Clean Car Standards are the low-hanging fruit on the path to reducing harmful emissions. Virginians should not be stripped of the standards that they have chosen. Residents and businesses deserve full access to the reduced operating costs that come with owning EVs, especially low-income used-EV purchasers who are afforded significant reductions in vehicle operating costs. And auto dealers should be given the tools they need to be successful in the EV economy.
Gov. Youngkin, don’t let Virginia lag behind. Invest in EV charging infrastructure, fund the EV Rebate Program and honor Virginians’ choice of Advanced Clean Cars Standards.
Cheri Conca is the transportation and smart growth program manager at the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter.
