Why did Governor Scott pause the electric vehicle mandate?

Electric vehicles – EVs – don’t emit pollutants into the air. That’s a good thing, if you’re focused on cutting emissions and curbing climate change. But they’re also often more expensive than gas cars, and the charging infrastructure along roads and highways isn’t fully built out yet. Considering these challenges, how do you get people to buy EVs?

In Vermont, the Scott administration proposed a rule to the Legislature in 2022 to end gas-powered car sales by 2035, which a legislative committee then approved. The rule stated that manufacturers should increase the percentage of EVs for sale in Vermont. State agencies said the strategy led to an uptick in EV ownership.

But then, about three weeks ago, Vermont’s Governor Phil Scott issued an executive order halting enforcement of this rule for 19 months. He also said his administration "remains committed to achieving emissions reductions, including vehicle emissions."

We hear more about what's going on in Vermont from freelance journalist Nathaniel Eisen of Colchester, who recently covered the story for Inside Climate News. Vermont's Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources, Julie Moore, gives us the state's perspective, and Democratic state Senator Anne Watson explains why she's disappointed in the governor's decision. Plus, Brent Dragon, sales manager for the heavy truck dealership R.R. Charlebois in Milton, tells us about the trucking industry's take on the mandate and the state's decision to put it on hold.

Correction: During Tuesday's radio broadcast and in this post we incorrectly identified the rule as a "law" and "regulation" that was first put forth by the Vermont Legislature. In fact, it was a rule proposed by the Scott administration.

Broadcast live on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

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