Vermont passed the Advanced Clean Car and Advanced Clean Truck Rule in 2022. This regulation requires 35% of the new cars delivered to Vermont to be battery-electric or plug-in electric hybrids. This ramps up to 100% of new cars in 2035. See chart below.
This is impossible. The auto makers say will take a “miracle to meet.” According to the Vermont Vehicle Index, only 12% of new vehicles registered in Vermont are electric. Manufacturers who want to ship vehicles with combustion engines to Vermont will have to pay fines or fees. Or they could lower allocation, which means fewer choices for consumers and fewer sales for Vermont’s vehicle sellers. And since Vermonters will still be able to go to New Hampshire and get whatever car they want, we aren’t really “solving” climate change. But we will be causing real economic damage to our communities. Click here to learn more about mandates on light duty vehicles and what you can do to pause or delay it before it takes effect.