It is reported that the air cleanliness regulatory agency in California, the USA, is advancing the formulation of new vehicle emission standards in the state and may introduce a new tax credit policy for electric vehicles to counter the Trump administration's attempts to limit the state's regulatory influence.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and five other agencies have recommended that the state government fill the $7,500 federal electric vehicle tax credit that is due to expire at the end of September. In a report released on August 19th, these institutions pointed out that although funds would depend on the availability of resources, vouchers, tax rebates or other incentives would help boost the sales of electric vehicles and increase the supply of second-hand electric vehicles.

This suggestion is one of the multiple measures proposed by the above-mentioned institutions in response to the executive order signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in June this year (2025), aiming to promote zero-emission vehicles. Liane Randolph, the chairperson of the California Air Resources Board, said that the agency has also initiated the process of formulating a new round of automotive emission standards.

Liane Randolph said, "For California, it is crucial to do everything within its authority to avoid relying on the federal government for reducing vehicle exhaust emissions." She pointed out that the relevant work is still in its early stages at present, and it may take up to three years to finalize the new standards.

This move is part of the ongoing game between California and the Trump administration over the regulation of carbon emissions from automobiles in the state. In June this year, US President Trump signed a bill that abolished the exemption granted to California during the tenure of former US President Joe Biden - an exemption that allowed California to set stricter vehicle pollution standards than those required by the US federal government.

In response, California and several other states filed lawsuits in an attempt to prevent this move (which led to the invalidation of California's original plan to ban the sale of fuel vehicles by 2035). Gavin Newsom also instructed the California Air Resources Board to initiate the formulation of new regulations: if the courts support the actions of the Trump administration, the new regulations may be improved on the basis of the original policy or introduced as an alternative.

Liane Randolph said that the "illegal" revocation of relevant policies by the US federal government might cause California to lose several years of achievements in carbon emission reduction.

The report released on 19th August also included other suggestions, such as building more charging stations along major transportation arteries and exploring plans to provide dedicated passage rights for electric vehicles on California's highway carpooling lanes. Currently, this privilege for electric vehicles will come to an end after September this year because the US Congress has not extended a federal program that allows US states to grant exemptions for carpooling lane rules (which typically only allow multi-passenger vehicles to pass).