(Image Credit: IMAGN) An electric car charges at an EV charging station in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024.
Sacramento, California – California is just a decade away from a landmark change: banning the sale of new gas-only vehicles by 2035. Eleven other states have adopted California’s ambitious zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which was once backed by one of the auto industry’s biggest players, General Motors. But now, GM is shifting gears.
Despite investing $12 billion in electric vehicle production and repeatedly pledging support for California’s clean-air goals, GM is urging Congress to halt the state’s authority to enforce stricter emissions rules. In an email sent to thousands of salaried employees last week, GM called on workers to pressure lawmakers to roll back California’s EV mandate, citing threats to “consumer choice” and “vehicle affordability.”
The automaker’s pivot comes amid signs that U.S. EV sales are falling short of expectations. According to Motor Intelligence, EV sales dropped 5% nationally in April 2025, even as the broader U.S. car market grew by 10%. In California — often seen as the bellwether for clean transportation — zero-emission vehicles make up just 20% of new sales, well below the 35% target for 2026 set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
“GM believes in customer choice,” the company said in a statement, “and we continue to focus on offering the best and broadest portfolio of vehicles on the market.” The company emphasized its preference for a single national emissions standard, rather than “unrealistic” state-level mandates.
Critics, however, see GM’s stance as politically convenient. “They’re reading the polls, not the science,” said one clean-air advocate. After years of championing electric mobility, GM has scaled back key EV goals, abandoned its 400,000-EV production target for mid-2024, and delayed major rollouts.
The California Air Resources Board defends its rules as flexible and forward-looking. “Sales are averaged over three years, and manufacturers can use credits from previous years,” said a CARB spokesperson. Despite slower sales, they insist the policy creates long-term certainty for a cleaner future.
Opponents of the mandate, including Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), call it “completely impractical” and warn of high costs. Some lawmakers, like Rep. Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.), also point to potential strain on local electric grids.
Still, for many climate advocates, the growing pains of the EV transition are no excuse to backslide. California’s policy may not be perfect, but it sets a direction — one that some hoped GM would keep driving toward, rather than putting in reverse.
