On Friday, the California Department of General Services (DGS) that, effective immediately, it is prohibiting purchasing by state agencies of any sedans solely powered by an internal combustion engine, with exemptions for certain public safety vehicles.

A second policy, currently being developed by DGS, will require state agencies, starting on 1 January 2020, to purchase vehicles only from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that recognize the California Air Resources Board (CARB)’s authority to set greenhouse gas and zero-emission vehicle standards, and which have committed to continuing those emissions reduction goals for their fleets.

This policy will apply to all non-public safety vehicle categories where departments have a choice between vehicles produced by CARB-compliant and non-compliant OEMs.

The second policy targets automakers including GM, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler and Hyundai which are siding with US President Donald Trump in his effort to strip California of its ability to craft greenhouse-gas emissions regulations separately from the Federal government. (Earlier post.)

In July, as the Trump administration began moving ahead to freeze emission standards for light-duty cars and trucks, a consortium of four automakers—Ford, Honda, BMW of North America and Volkswagen Group of America—and California agreed on a voluntary framework to reduce emissions that could serve as an alternative path forward for clean vehicle standards nationwide. Under the new DGS policy, only vehicles from these automakers, and others who climbed on board, would be eligible to be considered for purchase by state agencies.

In September, California led a coalition of 24 state attorneys general and the cities of Los Angeles and New York in filing a lawsuit against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over the Trump Administration’s newly announced One National Program Rule (earlier post) designed to preempt California’s greenhouse gas emissions and Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) standards, also known as California’s Advanced Clean Car Standards, which were authorized by a waiver granted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2013 (following a denial in 2007). (Earlier post.)

On Friday, California again led a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) attempt to revoke the portions of a waiver it granted California in 2013 that permit the state to implement its greenhouse gas (GHG) and zero emission vehicle (ZEV) standards.