Bill to block proposed federal EV mandate passes House Rules Committee

A bill to block the implementation of federal EV mandates passed the House Rules Committee 9-4 Monday.

The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act will now go to a floor vote on Tuesday.

The EPA proposed aggressive tailpipe emissions standards earlier this year that would, if finalized, would require 67% of new cars and small SUVs to be electric, along with a large portion of heavy-duty vehicles, by 2032.

Reps. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., and Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., along with more than a dozen House Republicans, introduced the CARS Act, which would prohibit regulations that mandate the use of any specific type of technology or limit availability of new vehicles based on engine type.

“These emission guidelines defy reality and strip Americans of the ability to make their own purchasing decisions. They also egregiously overlook dramatically higher costs and a serious lack of charging infrastructure that consumers would face,” Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., chair of the committee, said.

Whalberg said the EPA’s proposal is “divorced from reality, and unaffordable and impractical for most Americans.”

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., introduced companion legislation in October.