Harris campaign now says VP ‘does not support’ electric vehicle mandate in latest flip-flop

It’s really not that easy being green.

Despite Vice President Kamala Harris championing outlawing gasoline-powered cars in her Senate days, her campaign claimed Tuesday she’s now opposed to electric vehicle mandates — yet another walkback on behalf of the California Democrat and possibly the biggest one of them all.

In a “fact check” email, Harris campaign rapid response director Ammar Moussa dismissed claims made by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), about the veep’s readiness to “force every American to own an electric vehicle.” 

“FACT: Vice President Harris does not support an electric vehicle mandate,” Moussa wrote.

The missive went on to tout the Harris-Biden administration’s so-called Inflation Reduction Act, arguing that it “provided ground-breaking subsidies and tax credits for electric vehicles.” 

What the “fact check” leaves out is that Harris, 59, co-sponsored legislation in April 2019 that sought to ban the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2040. 

The Harris-backed Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2019 – introduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) – was announced as a “bold plan for transitioning the United States to 100% zero-emission vehicles.” 

The bill would have forced automobile companies to transition away from fossil fuels by requiring 50% of new passenger vehicle sales be zero emission cars by 2030. The mandate would ramp up 5% each year until 2040, when 100% of new vehicles sold would be required to be electric or hydrogen powered. 

“After model year 2040, the [Environmental Protection Agency] Administrator may issue an injunction on the manufacture of any passenger vehicles other than zero emission vehicles by a vehicle manufacturer,’’ reads the text of the proposed legislation supported by Harris. 

When Harris launched her short-lived 2020 White House bid, her campaign website promoted even more aggressive standards – pushing for a ban of internal combustion engine cars by 2035, according to the Washington Free Beacon. 

In March, the Harris-Biden administration finalized a crackdown on gas cars, pushing the EPA to enact regulations that are expected to result in more than two-thirds of passenger cars and light trucks sold by 2032 to be electric or hybrid vehicles.

The EPA rule tailpipe-pollution limits will see 56% of new vehicles sold in the US be electric by 2032 and 13% plug-in hybrids or other partially electric cars – despite the relatively low demand. 

Harris, who replaced President Biden atop the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket last month, has been accused of flip-flopping on a number of issues since jumping into the race against Trump, including support for Medicare for All, banning fracking and legalizing illegal immigration, in an attempt to appeal to a larger set of voters. 

In each case, Harris’ revised position has been announced by her campaign rather than confirmed by the vice president herself.