SACRAMENTO, Calif. \u2013 The Trump administration ramped up a battle with California over the state’s nation-leading vehicle-emission standards Thursday, suing air regulators over rules aimed at curbing pollution from cars.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump has long fought California’s efforts to curb tailpipe emissions and spur electric vehicle adoption, and last summer he blocked<\/a> the state’s first-in-the-nation ban<\/a> on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. He’s also routinely criticized California’s highest-in-the-nation gas prices, which are largely due to taxes and environmental regulations. <\/p>\n Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s office blasted the lawsuit, noting it comes as gas prices climb<\/a> amid the Iran war and as some drivers consider going electric<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cGas prices are soaring nationwide because of Trump\u2019s reckless choices, and now he\u2019s attacking the Golden State for trying to give Californians more freedom and cheaper options,\u201d Newsom spokesperson Anthony Martinez said in a statement. <\/p>\n It cost Californians $5.37 a gallon on average Thursday to fill up at the pump, according to the American Automobile Association. That\u2019s compared with a national average of $3.60 per gallon. Gas prices are up about 56 cents a gallon statewide and 35 cents a gallon nationwide since last week, rising roughly 20% since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s ironic that they\u2019re doing this just at the time when people are most worried about gas prices,\u201d said Dan Farber, faculty director of the Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment at the University of California, Berkeley\u2019s law school.<\/p>\n After Trump blocked California’s stringent electric vehicle mandates last year, the state quickly sued over the move. The California Air Resources Board then said previously adopted standards tackling emissions from cars that pose climate and public health risks would remain in effect even if the state’s more ambitious rules remained blocked.<\/p>\n But the federal government said in its lawsuit that the state didn’t have the authority to enforce even its less stringent standards.<\/p>\n \u201cOppressive, expensive electric vehicle mandates drive up costs for American consumers and violate federal law,\u201d Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. <\/p>\n California, which has some of the nation\u2019s worst air pollution, has for decades been able to seek approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to adopt stricter emissions standards than the federal government. Other states can sign on to adopt California’s rules.<\/p>\n During Trump’s first term, his administration revoked that authority<\/a>. The federal government reinstated California’s waiver authority<\/a> in 2022 under Democratic President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n