NATIONWIDE IMPACTS OF CALIFORNIA’S ADVANCED CLEAN CARS II RULE

This report analyzes the potential nationwide impact of California's Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) rule, which aims for 100% ZEV sales by 2035. It finds that if all 177 eligible states adopt the rule, the U.S. could reduce cumulative emissions by 1,310 MMT CO2e by 2050, prevent 5,000 deaths and 160,000 asthma attacks, and see the EV fleet grow to 239 million vehicles. The analysis emphasizes that while the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides critical short-term incentives, state-level mandates are necessary for long-term sustainability.

• If all modeled 177 States adopt the ACC II rule, cumulative U.S. emissions could be reduced by 1,310 million metric tons (MMT) of carbon dioxide-equivalent pollutants (CO2e) by 2050. This reduction is compared to the equivalent of 13 coal plants operating through 2050 or over 282 million gasoline vehicles driven for one year.
• Broad adoption of ACC II could lead to more than 239 million electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S. by 2050, meaning three-quarters of the national car fleet could be electric.
• Widespread adoption of the rule is projected to generate significant public health and economic benefits by 2050, including the prevention of 160,000 asthma attacks and 5,000 deaths, the creation of nearly 300,000 jobs, and average annual household savings of $238.
• The report identifies specific benefits for four case-study states: New York could reduce emissions by 108 MMT CO2e by 2050; New Jersey households could save over $682 annually; Maryland households could save $642 annually; and New Mexico households could save $591 annually.
• While the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides near-term growth through tax credits until 2032, the report argues that binding ZEV sales standards like ACC II are necessary to maintain electrification momentum and achieve long-term climate goals through mid-century.
• The transition to EVs is expected to reduce the transportation sector's reliance on gasoline by 27 percent in 2050 compared to a scenario with only the IRA.

APA

GOLDSTEIN, R., O’BRIEN, D., & ORVIS, R. (2023). NATIONWIDE IMPACTS OF CALIFORNIA’S ADVANCED CLEAN CARS II RULE. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Nationwide-Impacts-Of-Californias-Advanced-Clean-Cars-II-Rule-1.pdf

Chicago

GOLDSTEIN, RACHEL, DANIEL O’BRIEN, and ROBBIE ORVIS. NATIONWIDE IMPACTS OF CALIFORNIA’S ADVANCED CLEAN CARS II RULE. Energy Innovation, 2023. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Nationwide-Impacts-Of-Californias-Advanced-Clean-Cars-II-Rule-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=GOLDSTEIN |first1=RACHEL |last2=O’BRIEN |first2=DANIEL |last3=ORVIS |first3=ROBBIE |title=NATIONWIDE IMPACTS OF CALIFORNIA’S ADVANCED CLEAN CARS II RULE |publisher=Energy Innovation |date=April 2023 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Nationwide-Impacts-Of-Californias-Advanced-Clean-Cars-II-Rule-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{goldstein2023nationwide, author = {GOLDSTEIN, RACHEL and O’BRIEN, DANIEL and ORVIS, ROBBIE}, title = {{NATIONWIDE IMPACTS OF CALIFORNIA’S ADVANCED CLEAN CARS II RULE}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Nationwide-Impacts-Of-Californias-Advanced-Clean-Cars-II-Rule-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }