"GM, Once a Supporter of EV Regulations, Now Goes All-Out for Their Repeal"

General Motors (GM), the American automaker that once focused heavily on transitioning to electric vehicles, is now mobilizing its employees to lobby lawmakers for the repeal of environmental vehicle regulations, according to foreign media reports.

On May 18 (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that GM recently sent an email to its white-collar employees, encouraging them to persuade federal senators of the need to repeal California's environmental vehicle policies.

In the email, GM wrote, "Emissions standards that do not reflect market realities undermine consumer choice and purchasing power, posing a serious threat to our business," adding, "We need your help." According to WSJ, the offices of several federal lawmakers, including those in Michigan, have recently received phone calls from GM employees regarding this issue.

Previously, California enacted regulations requiring zero-emission vehicles to make up 35% of all new car sales by 2026, 68% by 2030, and 100% by 2035. Subsequently, 11 other states in the U.S. followed California's policy and decided to ban the sale of internal combustion engine passenger vehicles by 2035.

California was granted an exemption from nationwide uniform regulations because it faces the most severe air pollution problems in the United States. Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to revoke California's exemption status. The bill received bipartisan support, with 35 Democratic lawmakers voting in favor in addition to Republicans. The Senate is also expected to vote on a similar bill, led by the Republican Party, as early as this week. Senator John Barrasso, who spearheaded the bill, stated, "Efforts to eliminate all gasoline cars in America are completely unrealistic and would be prohibitively expensive for most families."

WSJ pointed out that GM's lobbying for the repeal of California's regulations shows that "GM, which once went all-in on electric vehicles, is now making every effort to overturn the most radical EV mandate in the U.S." WSJ also noted that when California announced its passenger vehicle emissions regulations in 2022, GM set an internal goal to end sales of pure gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035 and expressed support for California's policy objectives. However, as demand for electric vehicles began to stagnate and the Trump administration attempted to reduce EV tax incentives, GM appears to have shifted its stance. WSJ added that GM abandoned its own target of producing 400,000 electric vehicles annually by mid-2024 and subsequently postponed its previously announced EV production plans.