FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2023
MEDIA CONTACT: Mollie Michel
718-536-6336, mollie@sunstonestrategies.org
Maryland leads the charge on clean transportation with swift adoption of Advanced Clean Cars II Standards
Popular program will advance consumer choice for drivers, reduce toxic vehicle emissions and protect public health in Maryland
Annapolis — Today, the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) officially adopted the Advanced Clean Cars II Standards that will provide more car-buying options for drivers and relief to Marylanders suffering daily from dirty air and the health impacts caused by transportation pollution.
Maryland is the first state in the region to finalize the regulation in 2023 through a standard rule-making process. Other East Coast states, including Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, Vermont, New Jersey, and Maine have finalized or are on the path to finalization of ACC II, following quickly on the heels of Washington, Oregon, and California, who adopted ACC II in 2022. New Mexico and Colorado are on the path for ACC II adoption as well.
Maryland’s ACC II program will begin implementation in 2027, setting gradually increasing sales targets so that every new passenger vehicle sold in Maryland will be a zero-emission or hybrid vehicle by 2035. The Advanced Clean Cars II program will set the state on a path to lower vehicle emissions and a healthy transition to electric vehicles and cleaner air. Adopting ACC II in Maryland is expected to reduce light-duty CO2 emissions 63% below 2021 levels in 2035, 75% for NOx emissions, 62% for PM 2.5 and 64% for SO2.
The finalization of the Advanced Clean Cars II program in Maryland is just one step forward in addressing tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. The Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule is also under consideration and a virtual public hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 11. Taken together, both the ACT and ACC II are critical policies for Maryland to adopt without delay to ensure Maryland can meet its climate targets. Maryland is also accepting input until October 15 on policies and actions that will inform the state’s Climate Plan being released in December.
In response, Maryland Maryland advocates, policy experts, and business leaders released the following statements:
“The Advanced Clean Cars II standard will play a key role in cleaning up our air and protecting our climate,” said Josh Tulkin, Director, Maryland Sierra Club. “The Advanced Clean Cars II standard will accelerate the sale of electric vehicles, cutting carbon pollution from passenger cars 63% by 2035. We applaud the Moore Administration for adopting this critical regulation. We also look forward to working with the administration on the adoption of the Advanced Clean Trucks rule which will cut dirty diesel pollution from trucks.”
"Maryland LCV commends the Maryland Department of the Environment for finalizing the Advanced Clean Cars II regulations," said Ramon Palencia-Calvo, director of Maryland LCV’s program, Chispa Maryland. "These standards are vital to meet Maryland's climate goals and to protect public health. Communities of color, low-income communities, and neighborhoods near major transportation hubs bear an especially unfair burden of harmful pollution due to decades of systematic marginalization. Increasing the number of clean vehicles on our roads will reduce respiratory illness and hospitalizations, leading to healthier outcomes. Additionally, Advanced Clean Cars II can be another opportunity to create good-paying jobs for our communities in the manufacturing and deployment of electric vehicles.”
"Every day, fossil fuel cars emit pollutants that intensify climate change and contribute to toxic air pollution,” said Kevin Shen, Policy Analyst, Union of Concerned Scientists. “By adopting the Advanced Clean Cars II standards, Maryland has chosen to lean into its ambitious climate goals and jumpstart the transition to electric cars, which have 73% lower lifetime emissions than average gas-powered cars and will only continue to become even more efficient as Maryland cleans up its grid. With additional policies like the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, Maryland has the potential to be a true leader in decreasing transportation pollution.”
“Rivian applauds the Maryland Department of Environment for advancing common sense rules to expedite EV adoption in the state of Maryland," said Tom Van Heeke, Senior Policy Advisor, Rivian Automotive. "These rules, especially if combined with the Clean Trucks Act of 2023, will help achieve Maryland‘s climate goals and reinforce the state's position as a leader in clean transportation.”
"We applaud the Maryland Department of Environment for acting decisively today to get more clean vehicles on Maryland's roads by finalizing the Advanced Clean Cars II policy," said Alli Gold Roberts, senior director, state policy, at Ceres. "The auto industry and companies across the supply chain have made it clear that zero-emission vehicles are the way of the future. Maryland has now created a policy environment that will help accelerate the shift to the clean vehicle fleets companies want and need, while delivering cost savings and better air quality for communities across the state."
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