[SANTA FE, NM] – Today, the New Mexico Clean Cars Clean Air coalition of over 35 organizations announced their support for the clean cars rulemaking process being led by the State of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque.

The New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board and the City of Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board will hold hearings on May 4th and 5th to consider the clean cars rules, following a robust stakeholder engagement process that took place over the past several months.

If adopted, the Clean Car Rule will go into effect for model year 2026 cars, which will begin arriving in showrooms in 2025 and could begin to fill showrooms with electric cars as early as July 2022.

The Clean Car Standards consist of the Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program, which ensures that automakers make increasing numbers of plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles (EVs) available for sale in New Mexico and the Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) standards, which require that automakers manufacture vehicles that emit fewer greenhouse gases (GHGs) and harmful air pollutants.

The New Mexico Clean Cars Clean Air coalition, consisting of more than 35 businesses, nonprofit organizations, local agencies, and unions, released a letter supporting the rulemaking process. The coalition applauds this action by the Lujan Grisham and Keller administrations. Following are statements from a few of the coalition partners:

“The Clean Cars Rule would increase the accessibility of clean vehicles for New Mexicans while also decreasing direct pollution in our frontline communities,” says Josue De Luna Navarro with Power4NM. “This puts New Mexico on a positive path forward towards a cleaner future.”

“Electric vehicles are good for the environment and for your pocketbook, but it’s difficult to buy one in our state. The implementation of Clean Car Standards in New Mexico will ensure that EVs are readily available statewide,” says Tammy Fiebelkorn, New Mexico Representatiave for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.

“Clean cars are essential to the fight for cleaner air, healthier communities, and a livable climate in New Mexico,” says Noah Long, Western Energy Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Moving the state’s Clean Car rule is an essential first step in realizing all those benefits — as well as the jobs and resources coming to the state as part of the infrastructure bill passed by Congress this year.”

Background:

In early 2019, Governor Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico would join the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 23 governors committed to reducing GHG emissions by at least 26 percent from 2005 levels by 2025 — a goal consistent with the Paris Agreement. After signing into law a number of bills passed by the New Mexico Legislature to further commit the state to renewable energy and net-zero GHG gas emissions, Governor Grisham signed an executive order directing state agencies to develop a State Climate Strategy and identify policies to reach these GHG goals. In 2018, Albuquerque Mayor Keller signed the Climate Mayors pledge, committing the City to working to reduce GHG emissions and to help meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.