Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D) is no longer interested in an electric vehicle mandate for his state.
Lamont’s comments came just after President-elect Donald Trump (R) nominated former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) to serve as commissioner of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Zeldin has been skeptical about electric vehicles. He campaigned against Kathy Hochul on this issue when the two were running for governor in 2022.
On Tuesday, Lamont said Trump’s close relationship with Tesla founder Elon Musk could mean more incentives for electric vehicles.
But a mandate, which was considered in Connecticut last year, is off the table for the Lamont administration.
“We were following, you know, the federal standards, and I think the federal standards are no more,” Lamont said.
Connecticut car buyers would have had to buy an EV when shopping for a new car starting in 2035. The regulation came from California’s Clean Air Standards, which Connecticut adopted in 2004. The state no longer follows those standards.
Lamont’s comments were celebrated by state Republican lawmakers, who had campaigned against the proposals.
“This is a victory for Connecticut taxpayers. Connecticut Republicans — and thousands of taxpayers — have spoken out against the EV mandate. Struggling Connecticut working and middle-class families signed our petition at www.BanWithNoPlanCT.com,” the Senate Republican caucus said in a statement.
GOP lawmakers said they would keep the pressure on their Democratic counterparts in the upcoming legislative session. In the last session, Republicans blocked legislation to establish a study supporting electric vehicle infrastructure. Democrats maintain that the bill would not have led to a ban or mandate.
“Republicans support efforts to protect the environment and to make the air cleaner, but the multiple question marks and contradictions surrounding the EV mandate’s achievability, affordability, and budgetary impact remain serious concerns,” the statement said.
On Trump’s other cabinet picks so far, Lamont said he saw a big difference between the administration in 2017 and 2025.
“I think he's much more organized than eight years ago. He was ready to hit the ground running,” Lamont said. “They seem slightly more establishment, going to be coming out of Congress, not just somebody you saw on Fox News or something. I know Kristi Noem (R) a little bit, I think there'll be another governor in the mix pretty soon.”
