ALBANY, New York — An upstate Democrat wants to delay a mandate for car makers to sell more electric passenger vehicles.
Assemblymember John McDonald said he’d introduce a two-year delay of the regulations, citing consumer cost concerns and the potential loss of federal tax incentives.
“The reality is, if the federal government is truly going to eliminate the $7,500 rebate, that makes it very difficult for the average person to really make that decision on electric vehicles,” McDonald said. “It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to march toward that goal, but instead of going 70 mph, we might need to go 45 for a bit, maybe take a couple years to still get to the same destination.”
Car dealers and automakers have been lobbying to delay the regulations, which follow California’s clean car rules. The state-level program already faces an existential threat in Washington.
