Supreme Court Hands Down Major Blow to California’s Electric Vehicle Mandates

The Supreme Court ruled that oil companies can move forward with a lawsuit challenging California’s electric vehicle rules, dealing a serious setback to the state’s green agenda.

Key Facts:

The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of oil companies challenging California’s electric vehicle regulations.
The lawsuit targets EPA’s approval of California’s 2012 rules mandating more EVs and lower fleet emissions.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion, affirming the fuel producers have legal standing to sue.
California’s rules require automakers to cut average greenhouse gas emissions and build a fixed percentage of EVs.
The D.C. Circuit Court had previously dismissed the case, but the Supreme Court reversed that decision.

The Rest of The Story:

The case centers on California’s request for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval of its 2012 electric vehicle and emissions rules.

These rules forced automakers to limit emissions and produce more EVs in order to sell cars in the state.

Oil companies challenged the EPA’s decision to approve the rules, arguing it directly harmed their industry.

The D.C. Circuit Court had earlier ruled that the oil companies didn’t have standing to sue.

But the Supreme Court overturned that view.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the majority opinion that “the government generally may not target a business or industry through stringent and allegedly unlawful regulation, and then evade the resulting lawsuits by claiming that the targets of its regulation should be locked out of court.”

AFPM President Chet Thompson welcomed the ruling, stating, “California’s EV mandates are unlawful and bad for our country… Congress did not give California special authority to mandate electric vehicles.”

Fourth #SCOTUS opinion: A 7-2 Supreme Court *revives* an oil industry challenge to the EPA’s reinstatement of California’s zero-emission cars initiative, finding the group can claim they’re harmed by lower fuel demand. Sotomayor & Jackson dissent. https://t.co/Li6Lmz1ZB3 pic.twitter.com/GQWt8XwUBm

— Katie Buehler (@bykatiebuehler) June 20, 2025

Commentary:

This ruling is a hard stop for California’s radical climate agenda.

For too long, the state has acted like a separate country, imposing sweeping electric vehicle mandates with no regard for economic or energy realities.

These EV rules were never about consumer choice—they were about control.

California’s energy grid is already fragile.

The state can’t keep the lights on during summer heatwaves.

Now imagine forcing millions of drivers to plug in their cars overnight.

It’s a recipe for blackouts, massive rate hikes, and grid collapse.

The Supreme Court saw through the nonsense and hit the brakes.

Justice Kavanaugh was right to call out the EPA’s back-and-forth legal posturing.

One administration bends the rules to appease green activists; another tries to undo the damage.

That inconsistency is exactly why legal standing matters—and why affected industries must be able to sue.

The climate fanatics in Sacramento have been pushing policies that simply don’t work.

Forcing automakers to produce EVs no one can afford, when the state’s own infrastructure can’t support them, is madness.

It’s not sustainable.

It’s government overreach cloaked in green virtue-signaling.

This decision means California can’t bully the rest of the country into following its climate experiments.

It also signals that federal agencies can’t rubber-stamp state rules that go beyond what Congress allows.

That’s a win for working Americans and a blow to regulatory overreach.

If the state wants more EVs, it should start by fixing its broken energy system—not punishing citizens who can’t afford Teslas.

The people of California deserve choices, not mandates.

And the nation can’t let one state dictate federal environmental policy.

This lawsuit, now back on track, may finally bring accountability to the out-of-control regulators who’ve ignored the law and the limits of their power.

The Bottom Line:

The Supreme Court ruled that oil companies can challenge California’s EV mandates, rejecting lower court claims that they lacked standing.

This is a significant setback for California’s aggressive climate agenda and a warning to federal agencies that legality—not ideology—must guide regulation.

The state now faces legal pressure to rethink its unworkable EV rules and their impact on the nation’s energy system.