California announces lawsuit to resist Congress’ illegal attacks on clean air
California will go to court to protect its clean air in the face of illegal attacks by republicans in Congress, said California Governor Gavin Newsom today.
Earlier today, the US Senate voted to revoke California’s waiver to set its own clean air rules using the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The House previously voted on a similar measure earlier this month.
For more than half a century, California has asked for and been granted this waiver that allows it to set its own emissions rules. Other states can follow California’s rules (and around 11 states do so, though that amount differs for each rule), as long as they do so exactly, and as long as those rules are stronger than the national ones.
It has this unique authority because California had its own Clean Air Act before the federal Clean Air Act was passed, and because the state had a unique problem with smog at the time and needed stricter rules than the rest of the country. So a carveout was made in the federal law in recognition of this, and California has been granted this waiver over 100 times after following proper rulemaking processes, and denied zero times.
California’s clean air laws have been effective in reducing pollution, with vehicle-based pollutants dropping by 98% in the last 50 years. But of course, there’s still more to be done, as the LA area remains one of the smoggiest in the country due to factors including geography, high car dependency, heavy shipping traffic, and a lack of public transitt.
Despite the protestations of industry at the time and since, these rules have not made it impossible for them to operate, or sell cars, or profit from selling cars, in California or any other states that follow its rules.
California’s newest set of rules is set to save Californians, and the residents of other states who follow them, hundreds of billions of dollars on health, fuel, and maintenance costs through 2050 by encouraging electrification – and of course will save thousands of lives due to pollution reductions.
Republicans targeted not just California’s regulation on light duty vehicles (ACC II), but also some other truck emissions rules (the ACT and HD low-NOx Omnibus rules), with their CRA action today.
The problem is, Congress does not have the power to revoke this waiver, because that’s not how the CRA works.
The CRA is an until-recently rarely-used Act which allows Congress to disapprove of recent rules set by a federal government agency, and bar that agency from implementing similar rules.
However, California’s waiver is not a rule from a federal government agency, it’s a waiver from the EPA to let California set its own rules. Therefore, the CRA doesn’t apply, as acknowledged by the Senate Parliamentarian, the Government Accountability Office, many, many other legal observers, and even Congress itself, where Senator Mike Lee voted to rescind the waiver, despite saying clearly that it “cannot be reviewed under the Congressional Review Act (CRA).”
It’s also outside the 60 day window allowed for review by the CRA. Stack another violation of law on top of the first one.
So, today’s action by Congress is illegal, and California is now going to court to stop it.
California announces lawsuit to protect clean air
Hot on the heels of republicans declaring their desire to raise health and fuel costs for Americans, and their opposition to clean air, California Governor Gavin Newsom came out with a response, committing to taking the issue to court, as California has done (and won) in the face of previous republican attacks on clean air.
Gov. Newsom declared his opposition to the republican plan to “Make America Smoggy Again” today, saying:
“This Senate vote is illegal. Republicans went around their own parliamentarian to defy decades of precedent. We won’t stand by as Trump Republicans make America smoggy again — undoing work that goes back to the days of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan — all while ceding our economic future to China. We’re going to fight this unconstitutional attack on California in court.”
-California Governor Gavin Newsom
California Attorney General Rob Bonta also spoke at the press conference, saying:
“With these votes, Senate Republicans are bending the knee to President Trump once again. The weaponization of the Congressional Review Act to attack California’s waivers is just another part of the continuous, partisan campaign against California’s efforts to protect the public and the planet from harmful pollution. As we have said before, this reckless misuse of the Congressional Review Act is unlawful, and California will not stand idly by. We need to hold the line on strong emissions standards and keep the waivers in place, and we will sue to defend California’s waivers.”
In its press release, the California Governor’s Office pointed to the decades of precedent upholding California’s waiver, which is protected by the Clean Air Act. It also pointed out that the California Air Resources Board was established under Governor Ronald Reagan, and waivers were first granted by President Richard Nixon.
Both of these individuals are republicans, though from a time before the party had fallen quite so far down the rabbit hole of openly wishing harm on Americans.
California goes on to talk about how Congress’ actions make driving less affordable by raising fuel and health costs, hand over the keys to the auto industry to China by slowing down the US auto industry’s transition to EVs, and harm the climate leadership of California, the most productive state and the 4th largest economy in the world, which has grown by 78% since the year 2000 while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 20% since then.
California did not yet file the lawsuit, merely stated its intent to do so today. But courts have ruled in favor of California many times in the past in cases related to its authority to protect its own air, most recently doing so in December.
Clean air groups also offered their support for California’s lawsuit. The Environmental Defense Fund said:
“We stand with California’s leaders in protecting the health and safety of millions of people from harmful vehicle pollution. The state’s clean air standards for new cars and trucks protect children’s lungs and the communities where they grow up from smog and soot. They help farmers, builders, and others who work outdoors breathe easier. They reduce the climate pollution that fuels deadly wildfires, droughts, and other disasters. They save hard-earned money at the pump — and they save thousands and thousands of lives”
-Vickie Patton, General Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund
While the EDF did not yet join the lawsuit (as it hasn’t been filed), a number of nonprofits joined another California lawsuit against an illegal freeze on charging funds today, so we may expect future comment from the groups involved in that lawsuit.
On another note, republicans took action to cut the rooftop solar credit today. That means you could have only until the end of this year to install rooftop solar on your home, before republicans raise the cost of doing so by an average of ~$10,000. So if you want to go solar, get started now, because these things take time and the system needs to be active before you file for the credit.
To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – ad*
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Time’s ticking for snagging a great EV lease deal. With the 25% tariff on imported EVs already in place and the federal tax credit disappearing on September 30, automakers are rolling out serious deals. If you’re thinking about going electric, now’s the moment. Here are some of the best August EV lease deals our friends at CarsDirect found.
2025 Honda Prologue lease from $159/month
Honda’s throwing down a wild lease deal on the 2025 Prologue if you’re in the right state. For a limited time, you can drive off in the all-electric SUV for the equivalent of just $200/month, but there’s a twist. Instead of monthly payments, Honda’s offering a rare One Pay Lease: you drop $4,800 upfront for a 24-month lease. That’s it. No monthly bills, and you save nearly 2% compared to standard rates.
If paying all at once isn’t in the cards, there’s still an option to pay $159/month for 24 months with $1,099 due at signing. Either way, the Prologue ranks among the cheapest new electric SUVs to lease right now.
There are some strings, though. These ultra-low prices are only available in California and other CARB states, and they include a $3,500 loyalty or conquest bonus, so you’ll need to be coming from a Honda lease or ready to ditch another brand.
These deals rely on the EV lease loophole to pass through the $7,500 tax credit. Once that disappears on September 30, expect prices to jump. At that point, buying might make more sense than leasing.
Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Honda Prologue in stock. –trusted affiliate link
2025 Volkswagen ID.4 lease from $129/month
Volkswagen just slashed the ID.4 lease – and it’s a big one. Right now, you can lease the 2025 ID.4 Pro RWD for just $129/month for 24 months with 10,000 miles a year. That works out to an effective cost of only $233/month, making it $264 less than it was before.
This isn’t just a good deal – it’s practically interest-free. The previous lease rate hovered around 1%, but now it’s basically 0%. On top of that, VW is stacking up to $9,250 in lease cash depending on which trim you pick. Even the base Pro RWD gets $7,500 in incentives. This deal only runs through August 31.
Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Volkswagen ID.4 in stock. –trusted affiliate link
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 lease from $149/month
Hyundai just dropped one of the best EV lease deals of the summer. The refreshed 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SE Standard Range is going for $149/month for 36 months (10,000 miles a year) with $3,999 due at signing. That brings the effective monthly cost to just $260 – a nearly $100 drop from July’s offer. This deal is available through September 2.
If you’ve got little wiggle room in your budget, the SE Long Range might be worth the upgrade at $189/month with the same upfront cost – only $40 more a month for a lot more range.
Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Hyundai IONIQ 5 in stock. –trusted affiliate link
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 lease from $169/month
The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 SE Standard Range is going for $169/month for 24 months (12,000 miles a year) with $3,999 due at signing. That pencils out to an effective cost of $336/month, and with the current lease cash, it’s a solid bargain.
Hyundai is offering up to $11,750 in lease cash on the IONIQ 6, plus an extra $1,000 Inventory Coupon if you lease a car that’s been sitting on the lot for 180+ days. That’s even more than July’s offer.
These offers are good through September 2, so if sleek, efficient, and affordable is your vibe, the IONIQ 6 is a solid choice.
Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Hyundai IONIQ 6 in stock. –trusted affiliate link
2025 Subaru Solterra lease from $279/month
The 2025 Subaru Solterra just became one of the most affordable EVs to lease. It’s going for $279/month for 36 months with just $279 due at signing. That brings the effective monthly cost to just $287, an incredible deal for an all-electric SUV with an MSRP pushing $40,000.
To put it in perspective: the 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid has an effective monthly cost of $486. So yeah, the Solterra wins this round. This offer’s available through September 2.
Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Subaru Solterra in stock. –trusted affiliate link
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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It wasn’t just the best sales month so far for the Chevy Equinox EV. It was the best for a non-Tesla EV in the US. The electric SUV is selling like hotcakes, driving GM’s EV sales up more than 115% in July.
Chevy Equinox EV marks a first for a non-Tesla
GM sold over 19,000 electric vehicles in the US last month, more than doubling year-over-year and its best July sales month yet. The surge was led by “America’s most affordable 315+ range EV,” the Chevy Equinox EV.
After launching the lower-priced LT model in late 2024, starting under $35,000, Chevy Equinox EV sales have surged.
In the first quarter, the electric Equinox drove Chevy to become the fastest-growing EV brand in the US. It’s now expected to be among the top three selling EVs in the US this year, behind the Tesla Model Y and 3.
As sales continued surging last month, the electric Equinox hit another significant milestone. With 8,500 models sold, the Chevy Equinox EV notched its best sales month so far, but it was also the best for any non-Tesla EV in the US.
GM sold over 8,500 Chevy Equinox EVs in July, nearly half of the roughly 19,000 electric vehicle sales for the month.
Just to compare, last month Honda sold 6,318 Prologues, Hyundai sold 5,818 IONIQ 5s, and Ford sold 5,308 Mustang Mach-Es.
The electric SUV is flying off the lot, boasting more than enough driving range, fast charging capabilities, and an affordable price.
“The first thing for Equinox is the look and design. And once they get behind the wheel, they fall in love,” according to Isidro Bomnin, who owns two of Chevy’s highest-selling EV dealerships in South Florida. Bomnin said the electric SUV is “seeing a lot of conquest buyers from other brands,” including younger buyers.
Earlier this summer, a dealer from California reached out to Electrek, saying it could have sold even more Equinox EVs, but some buyers were waiting over 30 days for their vehicles.
| Electric Vehicle | July 2025 Sales | Year-to-Date 2025 Sales (January to July 2025) |
| Chevy Equinox EV | 8,500 | 36,000 (est) |
| Honda Prologue | 6,318 | 22,635 |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E | 5,308 | 27,093 |
| Hyundai IONIQ 5 | 5,818 | 24,910 |
GM has now sold around 36,000 Chevy Equinox EV models through July. In comparison, Ford has sold 27,093 Mustang Mach-Es, Hyundai has sold 24,910 IONIQ 5s, and Honda has sold 22,635 Prologues so far this year.
The company admits that the $7,500 federal EV tax credit is helping boost industry-wide demand. However, that’s set to expire at the end of September. Until then, GM is offering generous discounts to push inventory.
We will learn more when GM reports third-quarter US sales on October 1. Check back for a full breakdown of the report.
With leases starting as low as $289 per month, the 2025 Chevy Equinox EV remains one of the best deals on the market. Hyundai, Honda, and Ford are also offering significant savings ahead of the incentive cutoff. Ready to try one out for yourself? you can use our links below to view models in your area.
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Tesla’s brand loyalty levels dropped from the best in the industry to fairly middling results, according to new data from S&P Global Mobility, and it’s all because of the company’s CEO, Elon Musk.
S&P Global Mobility tracks sales data across the automotive industry, and its new customer loyalty numbers are out, shared with Reuters this morning.
The numbers show a troubling trend for Tesla, and a historic drop in customer loyalty for the brand that long held the #1 title in that space.
S&P’s data shows that Tesla’s customer loyalty took a “nosedive” in July 2024, timed alongside Musk’s public commitment of hundreds of millions of dollars to the anti-environment political campaign of a convicted felon who had promised to do his best to destroy the EV industry (and who is Constitutionally barred from holding office in the US). And it continued to decline as his relationship deepened with the same candidate.
According to the Reuters story, S&P’s numbers show that Tesla customer loyalty peaked at 73% in June 2024, but took a “nosedive” in the next month, and ended up bottoming out in March at 49.9%. That means about a third of Tesla owners who would have bought another Tesla decided to buy another brand as well.
S&P’s data is not based on surveys, but rather household-level data of which cars each household is buying.
Tesla’s loyalty since recovered to 57.4% in May, the most recent month included in the S&P data, still far less than its previous peak.
As can be seen in the graph above, Tesla was in a league of its own consistently. There were only single months where any other brand might have matched Tesla’s brand loyalty numbers over the course of the last several years – and this held true consistently in the period before S&P’s chart as well, as we at Electrek have covered many times in the past.
The drop from 73% to 49.9% even put Tesla briefly below the industry average, something which the company has never seen before. Even after recovery, Tesla is no longer in its first-place-by-a-long-shot position, and now behind Chevy and Ford and about the same level as Toyota.
Tom Libby, an analyst with S&P, was quoted by Reuters as saying he’s “never seen this rapid of a decline in such a short period of time.”
Another metric, customer defections, also showed trouble for Tesla. Customer defections show how many more households are switching from another brand to buy your brand, compared to the number of households switching from your brand to another.
Tesla’s customer defection numbers were “in a different stratosphere” to the rest of the industry for a long period of time. From 2020-2024, Tesla on average acquired five times more customers than it lost to other brands. The next-highest performers were Genesis at 2.8 and Kia/Hyundai at 1.5/1.4.
It makes sense that Tesla would gain more customers than it loses, given that it was and is a relatively new and growing brand. If people are switching to an EV, there’s a good chance they’ll switch to a Tesla since that’s the most well-known EV brand and is widely available. But Tesla’s numbers were really high.
But since July 2024, the defections have dropped significantly. Now, Tesla is below 2, a more than 60% drop in its defection rate, and putting it back in touch with the rest of the industry.
Further, it has been eclipsed by other brands – and not just startup EV brands who have the advantage of being new and thus naturally having a high conquest rate. Rivian, Polestar, Porsche and Cadillac all now exceed Tesla’s defection rate.
These poor results track alongside Tesla’s recent sales results, which have been dropping in just about every territory, even doing damage to the entire EV market as a result.
Today’s results, and Tesla’s recent poor earnings, spell trouble for Tesla, showing how Musk’s influence are damaging the high-flying company, which has always been treated as an exception in the industry (and in the stock market) due to its exceptional results across several customer and growth metrics.
Now, Tesla’s results are no longer exceptional – or rather, they’re exceptional in the opposite direction, with Tesla being one of few EV brands with falling sales in a rising global EV market.
But despite the trouble all of this spells for Tesla, it seems like it’s not spelling trouble for Musk himself. Even though he’s the reason that Tesla is crashing in the first place, the Tesla board just rewarded him with $26 billion today – a payday with more money for a single bad employee than Tesla has made in any year over its entire history, even as Tesla’s profits have been drastically declining this year as a result of Musk’s actions.
Electrek’s Take
We’ve previously covered how embarrassed owners have been modifying their cars with bumper stickers or badges to separate themselves from the image that Musk has built for the company. But now we have data showing just how many of them have stopped buying Teslas.
And it’s not just affecting prospective customers, but the customers who know how good the company’s cars are, and who had previously returned to buying Teslas in industry-leading numbers, and yet can’t stomach coming back because Musk is just so comically bad.
It would be interesting to see more from the graph above. We’re betting the numbers before Jan 2022 might have been even higher, as Musk’s public advocacy had already taken a turn towards the bizarre as he fell deeper into his twitter addiction.
But it’s clear what the biggest catalyst is – Musk’s ill-considered idea to give hundreds of millions of dollars to one of the dumbest people on the planet – someone who Musk himself had previously correctly said was “not good for America or the world.”
To be clear, Musk has always been relatively outspoken. But there were times where he was able to limit his advocacy to some more reasonable positions, stay somewhat more on message about the importance of fighting climate change (not anymore…), and stay out of the more obviously partisan political nonsense.
General wisdom does state that CEOs shouldn’t be too divisive, because dividing your customer base will only lead to a smaller addressable market. Surprise, it turns out that general wisdom is right.
Musk’s political advocacy has included support for German neo-Nazis, agreeing with a defense of Hitler’s actions in the Holocaust, and many other white supremacist statements, along with his well-publicized public nazi salutes.
Then, Musk joined an advisory position where he spent his days finding ways to increase (not decrease) the country’s budget deficit, violate laws, and kill literally millions of people.
It should be a surprise to nobody (who isn’t deep in a twitter echo chamber that he himself devised) that all of this drove protests against the company and caused incredible damage to the Tesla brand which Musk has attached his public persona to.
And I would contend that supporting white supremacists is stupid in itself, but doing so publicly when you lead a company that relies on a good public perception, all while supporting someone whose stated goal is to destroy your industry, is particularly stupid. But his stupidity hasn’t just been limited to politics, but also to purely business decisions. And we can see how stupid it all is with the effect it has all had on Tesla’s sales results.
It would be interesting to see what happened in the intervening months, given the public breakup between Musk and Mr. Trump – though Musk has since apologized for his outburst (even though what he said was true), and Musk has continued to spread racist nonsense in the meantime. Protests are still ongoing and sales are still dropping, so the public seems to have a memory of Musk’s ridiculousness, even if he’s gotten slightly more quiet in recent weeks.
It would also be interesting to see how much different the results would be if there were more great EVs available in the US at good prices. EVs from other brands are getting better, but Tesla still has both great cars and a well-considered ecosystem around them, and $299/mo for a Model 3 is hard to beat. If there were more mass-market EV-focused challengers (like the upcoming Rivian R2/R3, a non-tariff-affected Volvo EX30, any of the myriad Chinese options available overseas, etc.), we think Tesla’s loyalty results might be even less resilient than they are.
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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