From the Washington, D.C., office

PRI and SEMA, on behalf of the nation's motorsports and automotive aftermarket industry and millions of enthusiasts across the United States, issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives' 246-164 vote to overturn California's Clean Air Act waiver for the state's Advanced Clean Cars II policy (a.k.a. electric-vehicle ((EV)) mandates or internal combustion engine ((ICE)) vehicle ban): 

If you're going to force 40% of the nation to do your bidding, you better deliver a stronger policy than California's Advanced Clean Cars II, which will cripple the economy, force families into vehicles they can't afford, and saddle communities with an untenable, impractical edict with which to contend. California would have you believe there is a pot of gold at the end of the EV rainbow, in the form of millions of jobs installing chargers and expanding the grid, but in truth California would have on their hands the blood of an entire, legacy automotive industry that Americans have grown to rely upon and trust. 

Lawmakers in the House on both sides of the aisle see through these lies and understand what's at stake, and we thank them for slamming the door on EV mandates by voting in favor of a Congressional Review Act resolution to strike down California's Clean Air Act waiver. Their bipartisan vote will preserve vehicle choice nationwide, particularly at a time when people are keeping vehicles longer, using them to transport their families, and kickstart businesses and careers. 

We're on to the Senate. It's time for Senate Republicans and Democrats to stand up, declare that California does not speak for our nation, that the Golden State's policies are not solutions to our country's issues, and that it is not partisan to say, "I believe in American ingenuity, not mandates." The Senate must now vote to reclaim what California has stolen: our nation's ability to bring all options to the table in service of solving the carbon emissions conundrum. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP

ACT NOW: PRI and SEMA made it easy for industry members to make their voices heard on this crucial matter with just a few clicks. Learn more ⁠here or click below to support automotive technology innovation.

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BACKGROUND  

To enact an ICE vehicle ban through EV mandates would represent a significant hit to the nation's economy by causing irreparable harm to an industry that annually delivers a $337 billion economic impact and supports more than 1.3 million American jobs through domestic manufacturing and sales.  

• 33% of the nation's automotive aftermarket industry is ICE-dependent, representing more than $100 billion in economic impact to the U.S. economy, and impacts roughly 330,000 jobs.  

PRI and SEMA are not anti-EV; rather, it champions a technology-neutral approach that fosters innovation and ingenuity. The association will continue efforts to preserve Americans' rights to vehicle choice and the automotive aftermarket industry's ability to design, manufacture, and bring to market products that help solve the emissions challenge.  

PRI, SEMA and a coalition of 335 small businesses from the automotive aftermarket in early April urged House of Representatives and Senate leadership to hold votes to put an immediate stop to the implementation of the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) regulation.  

During the 2024 presidential campaign, PRI/SEMA, through its Driving Force Action SuperPAC, educated voters about the damaging impact of EV mandates, and the profound importance of empowering the automotive aftermarket to develop innovative solutions to carbon emissions using American ingenuity.