SEMA Files Amicus Brief in Opposition of California’s ICE Vehicle Ban

Organization argues to U.S. Supreme Court how state seeks to kill aftermarket innovation that can achieve cleaner vehicles

WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 15, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – The Specialty Equipment Market Association & Performance Racing, Inc. (SEMA) on August 7 filed with the Supreme Court of the United States an amicus brief in the case of Diamond Alternative Energy, LLC v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The brief outlines SEMA’s support for a review of the lawfulness of the EPA’s decision to grant California the authority to limit the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Using its EPA waiver, California, and by extension, the 16 states that opt into California’s regulations, seeks to adopt Advanced Clean Car II regulations that would limit the sales of ICE vehicles from model years 2017 through 2025, culminating with a complete ban on the sale of ICE vehicles by 2035.

SEMA requests that the court grant review due to the critical, nationwide importance of the case before them. SEMA contends that California’s non-technology-neutral decision to limit sales of ICE vehicles will have a devastating impact on the automotive aftermarket industry, of which SEMA’s 7,000 members are a pivotal part. If granted, the ICE Waiver will kill, rather than foster, innovation that can help produce cleaner, safer automobiles. Furthermore, the associated fallout of the ICE Waiver will touch the many associated industries, including motorsports, vehicle restoration, and automotive technology, each of which make immeasurable contributions to the nation from an innovation and cultural standpoint.

“California has already declared the winner of the race, and by extension, begins to foreclose on the innovations and unique contributions to cleaner vehicles and parts that the aftermarket for years has been providing,” SEMA argues. “The question presented is important not just to the specialty equipment aftermarket, but to consumers and the public at large who seek out these inventive products, and, as a result, the Court should grant the petition to address it.”

SEMA as an organization is steadfastly technology neutral, a reflection of the historically significant innovation delivered by the specialty automotive aftermarket industry, a sector that delivers $337 billion in annual economic impact to the U.S. economy, while supporting 1.3 million jobs nationally. Aftermarket participants, many of which are small…