“The exhaust from transportation makes up roughly half of the carbon pollution in Virginia which worsens our air quality, increases asthma rates, and kills thousands of residents of the Commonwealth each year.  Virginia’s legislature chose to adopt Clean Car Standards in order to increase consumers’ access to electric vehicles, improve our air quality, and save lives.  To unilaterally pull our Commonwealth out of these shared standards is undemocratic, short-sighted, and wrong for Virginia.”

–Wyatt Gordon, Senior Policy Manager for Land Use & Transportation

“This announcement from the Governor stands in clear defiance of the will of the duly elected legislature. These standards are simple: they put Virginia at the front of the line to receive electric vehicles, allowing Virginians more choice, better options, and an opportunity to improve air quality.

Electric vehicles are superior to gas-powered vehicles, and this overreach by the Governor threatens to take away consumer choice and force Virginians to spend more on fuel and maintenance.

This is not the first time the Governor has taken illegal action to defy the general assembly and undermine efforts to reduce emissions from our most polluting sectors. The Governor does not have the authority to unilaterally withdraw Virginia from participation in Clean Car Standards. Dozens of legislative efforts to withdraw Virginia from participation in Clean Car STandards through the proper mechanisms have failed. Any effort to move forward with withdrawal despite that fact is at the least illegal and at most an attempt to usurp power from the General Assembly and govern by fiat.” 

-Kim Jemaine, Director

“Virginia chose to adopt more protective vehicle standards because the Commonwealth chose to be a leader in the fight against transportation emissions that damage Virginians’ health, pollute critical waterways, and contribute to climate change. Virginia was one of multiple Bay states that opted into these standards, recognizing their essential benefit in the shared goal of restoring the Chesapeake Bay and building healthier and more sustainable communities. Governor Youngkin’s decision sends the state in the wrong direction when it has never been more urgent to address this major driver of environmental and health problems in the Commonwealth.

The impacts of climate change to communities in the Bay watershed are not going away. In just this past year, we’ve seen multiple floods and more frequent, intense storms damage homes and businesses. Families are increasingly burdened by hospital bills. Tailpipe emissions remain a significant contributor to these detrimental impacts. Communities are calling for greater protection, not removal of an important shield in the fight against climate change, environmental degradation, and rising health care costs.

The Governor’s action relies on an Attorney General’s Opinion that misinterprets the law and undermines the clear intent of the General Assembly to require the Air Pollution Control Board to not only adopt clean car standards but also to periodically update them to ensure continued progress toward transitioning Virginia to a cleaner vehicle fleet.”  

-Patrick Fanning, Virginia Staff Attorney

“Yet again, Governor Youngkin seeks to undermine democracy to ensure corporate polluters can continue to cash in at the expense of Virginians’ health and our planet. This Governor has repeatedly demonstrated a belief that he is above the law and is happy to pollute our air and water if it means he can score a couple political points with Big Oil and national donors. Emissions from cars are both our biggest contributors to climate change in Virginia and a public health crisis, consequences that are shouldered disproportionately by low-income families and people of color.”

– Victoria Higgins , Virginia Director

“By removing Virginia from the Clean Cars Standard, Governor Youngkin continues to cut off his nose to spite his face. This action will remove cleaner air in Northern Virginia where we have some of the worst air quality in Virginia, putting populations at risk for asthma, heart disease, COPD, and lung cancer. It will cut resources and opportunities for high-paying jobs in support of cleaner cars and will make Virginia less competitive, which we can ill afford.”

– Jennifer Cole, Executive Director

“I am a Navy veteran and the Navy is extremely concerned that their facilities in Hampton Roads are at risk due to sea level rise. So, Virginia should be a leader in fighting climate change with every tool at its disposal. Not only for the health and safety of all Virginians but to help save Department of Defense facilities that provide jobs and investment for our economy.”

– Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director

“Time and time again, people have told me about how hard it was to buy their electric vehicle because their local dealer had a limited supply. Today, auto manufacturers send EVs to the states that support transportation electrification, including our neighbor to the north, Maryland. Yet Virginia’s governor chooses to violate the law and prevent Virginia from joining other states in accelerating the adoption of technology that reduces auto emissions that pollute the air and alter our climate. Drive Electric RVA opposes any effort to unlawfully decouple Virginia from the Clean Car Standards that our state legislature approved three years ago.”

– Charles Gerena, Lead Organizer

“Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recent announcement that the Commonwealth will not adopt new vehicle standards is disappointing, as it diminishes opportunities to grow Virginia’s economy and save drivers and fleets money.

In 2021, the Virginia legislature voted to adopt the standards and again reaffirmed the decision after extensive debate, making this a truly Virginia decision.

Virginia should continue to create consumer choice in how drivers power their vehicles. For a century, oil has had a monopoly on our transportation system. By transitioning to domestically produced, stably priced electricity, we are disentangling our Commonwealth and nation from international bad actors who do not share our interests or values yet retain incredible power over our economy by their undue influence over the price of oil.

Policies and actions that give consumers more choices benefit the historically high percentage of the Commonwealth’s car buyers who chose electric vehicles since the standard was adopted. By supporting increased EV sales, the legislature ensured more Virginians took advantage of federal tax incentives while saving drivers money.

The EV transition already provides tangible benefits to car buyers, our economy, and national security. We welcome the opportunity for dialogue so that Virginia doesn’t limit its opportunities but can realize electric transportation’s many benefits.”

– Ben Prochazka, Executive Director

“Transportation is Climate Enemy Number One in Virginia because personal vehicles contribute more emissions than any other source in our state. This misguided decision will leave Virginians with dirtier air, worse health, and an even greater risk of catastrophic climate change. Rolling back the Commonwealth’s commitment to cleaner cars is shortsighted and takes Virginia in the wrong direction.

Virginians increasingly have shown that they want EVs. Strong zero-emission vehicle standards ensure that Virginians will have access to cleaner cars and allow our state to plan infrastructure for the future. Rolling back our commitment to clean cars will leave Virginia on the sidelines as we watch other states embrace electrification, clean air and a healthier, safer future.”

– Elly Boehmer Wilson, State Director

“In coastal Virginia, we are dealing with the effects of climate change every day — flooded streets and yards, very expensive efforts to control flooding, and tough decision about whether it is time to move. Virginia needs to do more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, not less. Governor Youngkin is moving Virginia in the wrong direction and abandoning our coastal residents. The Clean Car Standards are helping to ensure a resilient and prosperous future for all Virginians”

– Karen W Forget, Executive Director

“Youngkin is a Governor, not a king. In a nation of laws, no one person can unilaterally halt a democratically-passed and signed law. This is outrageous.

Youngkin tried and failed – three times – to get his allies to repeal the Clean Cars law, but the legislature rightly stood firm on the side of public health and cleaner air. Now he’s trying to bail out out-of-state big oil interests by going against the will of the people. This decision will mean fewer vehicle choices, worse air quality, and higher fueling costs for Virginia drivers.”

– Walton Shepherd, Senior Attorney & Virginia Director

“Clean cars and electric vehicles need to be part of the overall strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve overall energy efficiency in Virginia; the Governor should not act unilaterally to remove Virginia from Clean Car Standards.  Piedmont Environmental Council supports the continued effort to improve the infrastructure for electric vehicles and to incentivize the purchase of clean vehicles, as part of a broader strategy on reducing emissions from the transportation sector that also includes better land use planning and community design so that we can reduce the number of trips we take and the length of those trips.”

– Chris Miller, President

“This latest attack on clean car standards is further proof that Governor Youngkin thinks he can sidestep the laws he doesn’t like. Advanced Clean Car Standards boost our economy, increase market choice, and save lives. Virginians deserve a Governor who prioritizes their health and future. The people of Virginia and our democratic processes are not Gov. Youngkin’s hedge fund.”
– Connor Kish, Director