Media Contact: CourtneyB@coltura.org

Wednesday, June 6, 2024

Coltura Statement on Virginia Abandoning Vehicle Emissions Standards

Richmond, VA— Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that Virginia will abandon California’s vehicle emissions rules aimed at reducing carbon pollution at the end of the year when the state’s current regulations expire.

The standards aimed to ensure that at least 22 percent of new vehicle sales be zero-emission models by the end of 2025, with the proportion increasing to 100 percent over the following decade.

In response, Rob Sargent, Policy Director at Coltura, released the following statement:

“Governor Youngkin’s backward-thinking move to roll back Virginia’s clean car program is bad for consumers and undercuts efforts to cut pollution that harms our health and environment.

Studies show that residents of clean car states have far more affordable EV choices compared to states that do not have clean car programs.

EVs can provide much-needed financial relief to drivers who are most burdened by the cost of gasoline; especially lower income and rural drivers who need to travel farther distances. Helping drivers who use more than 1200 gallons per year switch to an EV could save nearly $400 a month on fuel and hundreds more on maintenance. Virginia residents should have the same opportunity as residents of clean car program states to reduce their fuel costs.”

Coltura Analysis Shows Significant Cost Savings from EV Transition:

An analysis released earlier this year by Coltura found that in Virginia, the 437,000 “Gasoline Superusers” – US drivers in the top 10% for gasoline use—are responsible for 31% of the state’s gasoline consumption. Virginia Superuser households spend an average of $7,613 annually on gasoline, which represents 11% of their income, compared to 3.8% for other households.

Our research shows that by switching to an EV, Virginia Superuser families could save an average of $388 a month on fuel, plus additional savings on maintenance.

Gasoline Superusers are predominantly located in rural and exurban areas without access to public transportation. Transitioning these drivers to electric vehicles is essential for reducing climate emissions at the necessary pace and scale to address the climate crisis. Switching these drivers to EVs would reduce Virginia’s transportation carbon emissions by 9.4% and its total carbon emissions by 4.8%.

The vehicle emissions standards, which Governor Youngkin has announced the state will abandon, provided the most practical pathway for Virginia to transition more drivers to EVs over time, ensuring cleaner and more affordable transportation for more residents.

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