Washington D.C. — New Mexico and Minnesota have taken the first steps to joining California and 13 other states in adopting low and zero-emission vehicle standards. By joining these stricter standards, New Mexico and Minnesota will join over one-third of the vehicle market, which leads to more fuel efficient vehicles and lower gas expenditures for consumers. This comes on the heel of the Trump Administration revoking the right of states to adopt a more stringent emissions standard guaranteed under the Clean Air Act since 1975. The clean car states have provided vital leadership in advancing the higher standards that have consistently been supported by a majority of the public.

One of the great benefits of American federalism is that individual states can discover better ways of accomplishing shared goals.  New Mexico and Minnesota have decided that it is in the best interest of their citizens to join together with the other clean car states, and their ability to do so shouldn’t be blocked by Trump’s misguided rollback of common sense fuel economy standards. By attempting to take away this critically important state authority, President Trump will simultaneously increase consumers’ costs at the pump, make U.S. vehicles less competitive, and throw America in reverse when it comes to a cleaner environment.