WALZ SAYS ‘CLEAN CAR' RULES HAVEN'T HURT IN 14 OTHER STATES

Minnesota became the first Midwestern state to adopt a plan for encouraging the switchover to electric vehicles as Gov. Tim Walz predicted that someday people will wonder why there was such a fuss.

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The Democratic governor visited Phillips and Temro Industries, which manufactures electric vehicle chargers, to highlight the state’s “clean car” rules, which take effect in 2024 for the 2025 model year. He said the rules will mean more choices for consumers shopping for electric cars, cleaner air at a time of growing concern about climate change, and more jobs.

Fourteen other states already have adopted similar standards, which require manufacturers and dealers to supply more electric vehicles. The states’ rules are all based on California’s tough standards, and that’s been a major sore point for Minnesota auto dealers and other critics.

“In the 14 other states, the sky did not fall,” Walz told reporters after his tour. “The car industry did not collapse. Jobs were not lost. In fact, just the opposite happened in all 14 other states.”