I’ve thought this for years, but it’s all about money and lobbying by corps to get mandated rules that people only use oem or carb certified parts.Exactly. You would think that the only thing that actually should matter is what is coming out of the tailpipe. As in, no one should give a shit what is on your car so long as the exhaust is 'clean enough'. They have gone the complete opposite of that, making it WAY easier to cheat the system as there is no exhaust test just OBD, visual and that's it.
The best evolution of the industry because of the CARB rules has how manufacturers have been able to make more power more cleanly and more efficiently than ever. Other than that, it’s just a racket for CA, smog mechanics, and parts suppliers.