(NewsNation) — The Trump administration announced Thursday the departments of Transportation and Justice have filed a suit against the state of California that argues the state’s zero-emission vehicle and tailpipe greenhouse gas emission rules are superseded by federal law.

“The Justice Department … has filed suit to stop California from imposing an illegal electric vehicle mandate through what are effectively state-specific mileage requirements for car manufacturers,” the announcement reads in part. “Federal law prohibits individual states from adopting regulations related to fuel economy.”

California’s Air Resources Board adopted its Advanced Clean Cars II regulations in 2022, which build on earlier laws limiting vehicle emissions and seek to eliminate new gasoline-powered cars in the state by 2035.

Normally, states are prohibited from adopting fuel economy regulations under the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, with the right to establish such rules limited to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

However, California received several waivers to implement and enforce its clean car rules from the Environmental Protection Agency under the Biden administration.

Last year, President Trump signed a law overturning ACC II, which his administration has referred to as an “illegal electric vehicle mandate.”

The federal government’s new lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of California, looks to ensure all of the state’s zero-emission vehicle mandates are declared unlawful.

A representative for California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, told The Wall Street Journal, “While the Trump administration surrenders the future of the auto industry to China, California will continue competing globally to win the clean-vehicle market. This lawsuit is meritless, and we’re not backing down from this fight.”

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