By the SEMA D.C. office
Maine's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has published a SEMA-opposed regulation submitted by an environmental group that, if approved, would require the state to adopt California's latest motor vehicle emissions laws and outlaw the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered cars beginning in 2035. Maine has historically followed California's tailpipe laws.
SEMA believes that Mainers, not the government, should decide what vehicles are best for them and their families. Furthermore, the automotive industry is embracing new technology to make cars cleaner and more efficient, which includes hydrogen, new synthetic fuels, alternative fuels and improvements to the internal-combustion engine. Simply put, the government should allow the market to continue to innovate all forms of technology that significantly reduce vehicle emissions, not just electric vehicles.
Click here to submit comments to the DEP by August 28, 2023.
For more information, contact Christian Robinson at christianr@sema.org.