U.S. Repeal of Waivers Puts the Brakes on EV Mandates

On June 12, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed three congressional resolutions repealing waivers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), effectively ending California’s electric vehicle sales mandates and diesel engine rules. These actions fulfill the president’s election promise and inauguration day pledge to end California’s 2035 mandate.

The mandate, known as the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) program, would have tightened restrictions on cars that emit greenhouse gases and are sold in the state, with the goal of making all new passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs sold in California zero emission vehicles after 2035. Since the passage of the programs, 12 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Advanced Clean Cars II regulations, meaning nearly 30% of all cars sold in the United States would have been covered by these rules. The other two resolutions repealed EPA approval of a mandate for heavy duty trucks that the state agreed to repeal last month and an EPA waiver for California’s low-nitrogen oxide truck emissions rule.

The approvals for these programs came from the EPA under the Biden administration, which followed reports from the Government Accountability Office and the Senate Parliamentarian that stated it was unlikely the House or Senate could vote to overturn the waivers. This proved untrue, a fact celebrated by the president in a press conference directly before the signing of the bill.

“We officially rescue the auto industry by ending the California electric vehicle mandate once and for all,” said Trump.