The Update: EV Mandates on Pause
Governor Phil Scott issued Executive Order 04-25 on May 13, 2025, which directs the Agency of Natural Resources to pause enforcement of Vermont’s electric vehicle (EV) sales mandates. Vermont’s adoption of the "California Car Rule” requires 35% of new vehicles delivered to Vermont to be electric by Model Year 2026, rising to 100% by 2035. The “Truck Rule" requires 10% of new medium and heavy-duty trucks to be electric in 2026. Watch this video for more information. Governor Scott’s Executive Order acknowledges challenges such as insufficient charging infrastructure and technological limitations in heavy-duty vehicles, which hinder the feasibility of meeting current EV sales goals. It also addresses concerns that some manufacturers are imposing zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales ratios on local dealerships, limiting the availability of internal combustion engine vehicles for Vermont consumers. Under this directive, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is instructed to use enforcement discretion to ease compliance with the Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks standards. This includes refraining from penalizing manufacturers for not meeting ZEV sales targets, provided they do not impose ZEV sales ratios on dealerships and continue supplying internal combustion engine vehicles to meet consumer demand.
Meanwhile, President Trump signed into law resolutions that stop California’s authority to ban gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. This is the same “California Rule” adopted by Vermont. Shortly after President Trump “banned the ban” on gas-powered vehicles, Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark joined her counterpart in California to file a lawsuit against the Trump Administration in order to reinstate the mandates. While all of this plays out in the courts, the EV mandates in Vermont will not be enforced. That's because Governor Phil Scott issued Executive Order 04-25 that effectively pulled the plug on the regulation for at least eighteen months.