WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Climate Alliance announced the launch of the Affordable Clean Cars Coalition by 11 of its member governors to sustain America’s transition to cleaner and more affordable cars, support U.S. automotive manufacturers and workers, and preserve states’ clean air authority. Alongside the launch, the Alliance announced the availability of resources to help states tackle vehicle pollution and lower barriers for consumers to more affordably own, drive, charge, and maintain clean cars.

This new multi-state effort underscores governors’ commitment to both consumer choice and regulatory certainty and stability for the U.S. automotive sector, which has faced a series of destabilizing actions from Congress and the federal government. These actions have included attempts to terminate funding for electric vehicle infrastructure, impose tariffs and disrupt supply chains, eliminate consumer credits for purchasing an electric vehicle, raise consumer costs for owning an electric vehicle, and dismantle states’ clean vehicle programs — all of which undermine American competitiveness in the global automotive market and constrain innovation.

The initiative was launched by a group of governors whose states have chosen to use their authority under the Clean Air Act to adopt and implement clean vehicle programs. Participating states include: California, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.

Governors Gavin Newsom (CA), Jared Polis (CO), Matt Meyer (DE), Wes Moore (MD), Maura Healey (MA), Phil Murphy (NJ), Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM), Kathy Hochul (NY), Tina Kotek (OR), Dan McKee (RI), and Bob Ferguson (WA) issued the following statement on the initiative’s launch:

“The federal government and Congress are putting polluters over people and creating needless chaos for consumers and the market, but our commitment to safeguarding Americans’ fundamental right to clean air is resolute. We will continue collaborating as states and leveraging our longstanding authority under the Clean Air Act, including through state programs that keep communities safe from pollution, create good-paying jobs, increase consumer choice, and help Americans access cleaner and more affordable cars. As we consider next steps for our clean vehicle programs, our states will engage stakeholders and industry to provide the regulatory certainty needed while redoubling our efforts to build a cleaner and healthier future.”

States participating in the Affordable Clean Cars Coalition will collaborate to:

• Develop solutions that make cleaner vehicles more affordable and accessible to all Americans who want them, including by reducing cost barriers, increasing availability of options, and expanding accessible charging and fueling infrastructure at home and in our communities.
• Continue making progress toward the goals of states’ clean vehicle programs.
• Defend longstanding authority under the Clean Air Act for states to adopt transportation solutions that best meet their needs and most effectively support their families and communities.
• Explore opportunities to develop and adopt next-generation standards and programs to further reduce vehicle pollution, as permitted under the Clean Air Act or otherwise, such as solutions that increase consumer access to cleaner cars and low-carbon fuels.
• Collaborate with one another, share evidence-based practices, engage experts, and develop solutions that can be shared across state lines and eventually scaled by the federal government.
• Foster meaningful engagement with manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, labor unions, business associations, utilities, community-based organizations, charging and fueling infrastructure providers, and others in developing and successfully implementing state transportation solutions.
• Prioritize efforts that bolster America’s ability to compete and innovate in a growing global market.

Today’s announcement comes amid record sales of clean cars globally and domestically. Clean car sales in the U.S. more than quadrupled between 2020 and 2024, and the global market for clean cars is surging to record levels worldwide. Manufacturers in the U.S. now offer more than 100 clean vehicle models for consumers to choose from, with more forthcoming, creating a dynamic market for cutting-edge vehicles that can improve our air quality, public health, and bottom lines. Public charging infrastructure is also more widely available than ever before, allowing Americans to confidently recharge and refuel on longer trips and at destinations closer to home. Importantly, clean cars are saving people money at the pump — with an estimated $1,200 in annual savings on fuel costs alone and an average of $10,000 in savings over a car’s lifespan.

States have been empowered under the Clean Air Act for nearly half a century to innovate and adopt their own clean vehicle programs, which have a demonstrated track record of supporting and creating good-paying jobs for Americans, promoting energy independence, and expanding consumer choice to more vehicle models, while simultaneously reducing vehicle pollution and helping tackle the climate crisis.

The U.S. Climate Alliance — a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors representing approximately 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population — proudly hosts a number of multi-state partnerships that provide a platform for members to deepen collaboration, participate in peer-to-peer learning, engage experts and stakeholders, and develop scalable solutions. Earlier this year, the Alliance announced it will house and sustain two such initiatives launched in partnership with the Biden-Harris administration in recent years, the State Buy Clean Partnership and State Modern Grid Deployment Initiative.

The Affordable Clean Cars Coalition builds on past multistate efforts, including the Nation’s Clean Car Promise, the Multi-state Zero-Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding, and the Multi-state Medium- and Heavy-duty Vehicle Zero-Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding. States will customize efforts to address their own individual challenges and opportunities while working together to achieve the coalition’s collective goals.