By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
SEMA is encouraging our member companies to take action by voicing your opposition to the implementation of ACC II. The automotive aftermarket needs your help! The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting comments through February 27, 2024, on whether it should grant a waiver for anti-internal combustion engine (ICE) regulations to take effect.
The California Air Resources Board's (CARB) "Advanced Clean Cars II" (ACC II) regulations ban the sale of new ICE vehicles by 2035. ACC II requires that 35% of new cars, SUVs and small trucks sold in California must be zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) starting in 2026. The regulation increases ZEV sales requirements by 6% to 8% annually through 2035, when 100% of new vehicles sold in California must be ZEV--eliminating the sale of any new gas-powered vehicles.
Before ACC II can be implemented, CARB must receive a waiver from the EPA for its regulation to take effect. SEMA opposes ACC II because 17 states--representing nearly 40% of the American population--have previously adopted California motor-vehicle emissions laws. To date, nine states have already adopted ACC II; three states have adopted ACC II through 2032, which requires 87% of new motor-vehicle sales to be ZEV; and two states have started the regulatory process to adopt ACC II.
If the EPA grants California a waiver for ACC II, this too-fast mandate will reduce vehicle choice and force Americans to purchase more expensive vehicles. ACC II, if implemented, would also disrupt automotive industry supply chains, devastate small automotive businesses and eliminate large numbers of jobs in vehicle manufacturing, parts production and repair businesses.
It's urgent that industry members send a letter to the EPA opposing California's ICE ban at https://p2a.co/criacj9.
SEMA's Washington, D.C., office is working around the clock to protect our industry's rights. Sign up for the latest SEMA Action Network updates here. For more information, visit semasan.com.