Attorney General Gentner Drummond has taken legal action to challenge a new electric-vehicle mandate set by the Biden-Harris Administration. The mandate, which was introduced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in April, enforces stricter tailpipe emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles. This effectively pushes manufacturers to produce more electric trucks and fewer internal-combustion engine trucks.
Drummond filed a brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit last week, arguing that Congress has not given clear authorization to the EPA to enforce such electrification of the trucking fleet. He is joined by attorneys general from 23 other states in this legal challenge.
"The heavy-duty trucking industry moves $30 billion worth of freight every day," Drummond stated. "This outrageous edict, the product of an overzealous environmental agenda, would cause major disruptions and deliver a significant blow to the U.S. economy. Prices would go up on all types of goods and the stability of our electric grid would be in jeopardy."
Currently, only 0.1% of all heavy-duty trucks sold are battery-powered. The EPA's rule aims to increase this figure to 45% within seven years. The brief argues that such a decision should remain within the purview of Congress and state governments rather than being dictated by an agency.
States joining Oklahoma in this brief include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, South Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.