Attorney General Miyares Challenges President Biden’s Proposed Regulation on Gas-Powered Vehicles

RICHMOND, Va. — Attorney General Jason Miyares today joined 24 other state attorneys general challenging the Biden Administration’s proposed regulation on vehicle tailpipe emissions. The Biden Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plan would forcibly phase out gas-powered vehicles and completely restructure the automobile industry around electric vehicles (EVs) at an alarming pace. The aggressive proposal aims to boost certain EV sales from 8.4% of total vehicle sales today to 67% by 2032. 

The attorneys general argue such a move by the EPA would damage regional economies, undermine the reliability of our electrical grids, tax the families and small businesses who depend on them, and jeopardize our national security. 

“Now is not the time for the federal government to complicate the manufacturing process for cars and raise the average price significantly. Many Virginians are unable to afford electric vehicles, even if they want them. Additionally, infrastructure required to support such a radical departure from the current transportation system does not exist, and it’s illogical to believe that such major changes to our national infrastructure could be completed and funded in accordance with an unelected agency's regulation change, completely sidestepping congressional approval,” said Attorney General Miyares. 

The average EV sold for $61,448 at the end of 2022, which is unaffordable for most middle class and low-income families.

In the letter to the Biden Administration, the attorneys general argue that America’s power grids not only lack the capacity to accommodate the proposed rule’s new demands but are also nowhere near secure enough to handle them safely. The EPA’s plan also hinders American energy independence, making the country less secure and dependent on foreign actors to supply many of the minerals necessary to build and maintain EVs. 

Virginia joins the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

To read the letter sent by the attorneys general, click here.

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