The ownership of Romeo Volkswagen said Electric Vehicle (EV) mandates adopted by New York are unrealistic, artificial, and eliminate consumer choice.
“On behalf of our customers, we wholeheartedly support your promise to give back to the American people the choice of what car they can buy,” said a letter sent to Trump by Romeo Volkswagen and 269 other New York dealerships. “We ask that in addition to addressing the EPA’s de facto battery electric vehicle mandate, you also take away the power of 14 bureaucrats in California to dictate to American consumers that in less than a decade, the only car or truck they can buy will be a battery electric vehicle.”
“Let the consumer decide and a free market reign,” said the letter. “Let the automobile manufacturers and dealers compete on the quality of their product and service to customers – as opposed to selling based on artificial mandates. This will lead to more choices and more affordable options.”
The letter referenced a regulation adopted by the California Air Resource Board (CARB), which the dealership said “mandates one in three vehicles sold this time next year be battery electric.”
That regulation has been adopted by 11 other states, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Maryland, Vermont, Delaware, Rhode Island, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington.
In September 2021, New York adopted zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) regulations requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the state to be zero-emission by 2035. To achieve this goal, interim targets include 35% ZEV sales by 2026 and 68% by 2030. These measures aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality across the state, according to the governor’s office, according to ABC 7.
Despite government incentives and subsidies, electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for only 8.1% of total new car sales in the U.S. in 2024. According to AP News, this indicates that a significant majority of consumers continue to prefer internal combustion engine vehicles due to factors such as higher upfront costs, limited driving range, and insufficient charging infrastructure.
New York currently has approximately 15,623 public electric vehicle charging ports, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. While this number reflects growth, it remains insufficient to support the projected increase in EVs required by the mandate, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
