Supreme Court Deals Crushing Blow to California’s EV Mandate
The U.S. Supreme Court has delivered a sweeping setback to California’s ambitious—and controversial—electric vehicle mandate, in a decision that not only unites the conservative majority but also draws support from a member of the court’s liberal bloc.
In a decisive 7–2 ruling issued Friday, the Court cleared the way for America’s fuel producers to press ahead with their lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). At the heart of the case is California’s aggressive requirement that electric vehicles make up the overwhelming majority of new car sales by 2035—a central pillar of Governor Gavin Newsom’s pledge to force the state toward “carbon neutrality” within just over a decade.
Writing for the majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh made clear that the Court views these mandates not simply as politically aggressive, but potentially unlawful.
“The government generally may not target a business or industry through stringent and allegedly unlawful regulation, and then evade the resulting lawsuits by claiming that the targets of its regulation should be locked out of court as unaffected bystanders,” Kavanaugh wrote.
He also took the EPA to task for its shifting legal justifications over the years, noting:
“EPA has repeatedly altered its legal position on whether the Clean Air Act authorizes California regulations targeting greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles.”
This legal victory for the fuel industry comes amid a broader political storm over California’s climate policy. The decision directly challenges the legal underpinnings of Newsom’s 2012 request for EPA approval of sweeping emissions regulations. Those rules effectively compel automakers to limit average greenhouse gas emissions across all vehicles sold in the state and to ensure a fixed percentage of their fleets are electric.
Chet Thompson, president and CEO of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, whose organization spearheaded the lawsuit, hailed the ruling as a landmark moment:
“The Supreme Court put to rest any question about whether fuel manufacturers have a right to challenge unlawful electric vehicle mandates. California’s EV mandates are unlawful and bad for our country. Congress did not give California special authority to regulate greenhouse gases, mandate electric vehicles, or ban new gas car sales, all of which the state has attempted to do through its intentional misreading of statute.”
The Court’s decision follows closely on the heels of President Donald Trump’s recent action to dismantle major elements of California’s green energy program. Earlier this month, Trump signed three separate resolutions aimed squarely at gutting key climate initiatives advanced by Newsom, striking a political blow to the governor, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender.
And the bad news for Newsom didn’t end there. On Thursday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals handed Trump another victory, overturning a lower court decision and allowing the president to retain direct control of the California National Guard.
That ruling reversed U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who had accused Trump of overstepping his constitutional and statutory authority when he federalized elements of the Guard to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and secure federal property in Los Angeles. Breyer had cited the Tenth Amendment in declaring the move unconstitutional, arguing that Trump had exceeded the legal boundaries of his office.
But the 9th Circuit sided with the administration, granting its emergency motion and restoring Trump’s authority over the Guard. Trump celebrated the win on Truth Social:
“The Appeals Court ruled last night that I can use the National Guard to keep our cities, in this case Los Angeles, safe. If I didn’t send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now. We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!”
Between the Supreme Court’s rebuke of California’s EV mandate and the appeals court’s green light for Trump to maintain control over the Guard, the past 48 hours have marked a bruising series of defeats for Governor Newsom—both in the courtroom and in the broader political arena.