Stellantis Has Stopped Shipping Gas-Only Cars To 14 US States

Global automaker Stellantis, the third member of the Big Three, has stopped shipping gas-only vehicles to 14 U.S. states without a customer order—only hybrids—according to Automotive News. These states all follow or soon intend to follow the California Air Resource Board's vehicle emissions rules championed by the coastal state. However, this problem is not unique to Stellantis, though it hits it harder than the rest because it offers just a few hybrids and no battery electric vehicles.

The issue stems from a CARB rule which determines how automakers' environmental footprint is measured. Five companies: BMW, Ford, Volkswagen, Volvo, and Honda, all get their fleet emissions measured by CARB based on nationwide sales. In the case of every other automaker, fleet emissions are determined by CARB using sales only in states that follow the board's rules. This puts Stellantis in a bind.

Its answer is to stop sending ICE-only vehicles to those 14 states unless a customer specifically asks for one. According to Automotive News, around 36 percent of Americans live in these CARB states, so a little more than a third of the population. Dealers say it's difficult, but many customers are willing to wait. Others, not so much, and many worry it may just send car buyers across state lines.

That's easier said than done in some instances. Every west coast state abides by CARB as does every east coast state north of Maryland, save New Hampshire, of course. Virginia, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona are set to abide by California's regulations soon, as well.

To be clear, CARB's latest round of rules doesn't kick in until 2026, but Stellantis feels it has to be prepared. It could've gotten an early jump on electrification and perhaps avoided such a frustrating turn of events, but now it's stuck with the consequences of not doing so.

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