The Biden administration has proposed new automobile pollution limits that would require up to two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the United States to be electric by 2032. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
The proposed regulations are part of a larger plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions in half by 2030, compared with 2005 levels. To achieve this goal, the Biden administration plans to invest heavily in electric vehicle infrastructure and incentivize manufacturers and consumers to switch from gasoline-powered vehicles.
According to a White House fact sheet released on Thursday, August 5th, the proposed regulations would establish increasingly stringent fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks starting in model year 2023. The standards would require automakers to improve average fuel efficiency by about 8% per year through model year 2026.
Starting in model year 2027, the standards would transition from being based on miles per gallon (mpg) to grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) per mile. By model year 2030, the CO2 emission standard for passenger cars would be about half what it is today.
To achieve these goals, automakers will need to sell more electric vehicles. Currently, EVs make up only a small fraction of new car sales in the United States – less than 3% according to recent data from Cox Automotive. However, EV sales have been growing rapidly over the past few years as battery technology improves and prices come down.
Despite this growth, reaching a target of two-thirds EV sales within just over ten years will be challenging – especially given that some states still lack sufficient charging infrastructure or incentives for consumers to purchase EVs.
However, environmental groups have praised the proposal as an important step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change. In addition, many major automakers have already committed themselves to transitioning away from gasoline-powered vehicles in coming years.
For example, General Motors plans to phase out gasoline-powered cars and trucks by 2035, and Ford has pledged that 40% of its global sales will be electric vehicles by 2030. Other automakers such as Volkswagen and Volvo have made similar commitments.
On the other hand, some industry groups have criticized the proposed regulations as being too aggressive and potentially damaging to the U.S. auto industry. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing major automakers, released a statement saying that “achieving these standards is incredibly challenging,” and that it would prefer more flexibility in meeting the new requirements.
The proposal also faces potential legal challenges from states with large automotive manufacturing sectors – such as Michigan – which are likely to resist any attempt to mandate EV sales quotas.
In conclusion, the Biden administration’s proposed automobile pollution limits represent a significant step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. However, achieving two-thirds EV sales within ten years will require significant investment in charging infrastructure and incentives for consumers to switch away from gasoline-powered vehicles. The proposal is likely to face resistance from some industry groups and potential legal challenges from states with large automotive manufacturing sectors. Nonetheless, many major automakers have already committed themselves to transitioning away from gasoline-powered vehicles in coming years, which bodes well for reaching this ambitious goal over time.