The new rules will be presented to the public on Wednesday, April 12, but they will not actually mandate sales of electric vehicles, reports the New York Times. Instead, they will set aggressive tailpipe pollution restrictions that are intended to force automakers into selling zero-emissions vehicles.
According to unnamed sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, the EPA intends to ensure that EVs represent between 54 and 60 percent of all new vehicles in America by 2030. That figure will then rise to between 64 and 67 percent by 2032.
The regulations would move the rest of the United States into closer alignment with California and other states that plan to ban the sale of internal combustion engines by 2035.
The move will no doubt please environmentalists because the transportation sector is the biggest source of greenhouse gases in America. Meanwhile, a 2021 report found that sales of new internal combustion engines must stop by 2035 in order to avert catastrophic heatwaves, flooding, drought, crop failures, and other environmental disasters.
The change in policy will be a major one for the Biden administration and the automotive industry. Even pro-EV companies are unsure if the transition to electric vehicles can happen that quickly. With massive implications for supply networks, auto jobs, and national infrastructure, the move will be a major political undertaking and is likely to become a campaign issue for the 2024 election. If Biden loses, the EPA’s rules are likely to be changed.
The Biden administration has made the transition to electric vehicles a major part of its policy ambitions. With new rounds of incentives for both new vehicle buyers and companies that set up charging infrastructure and soon aggressive emissions regulations, the government has taken multiple steps to encourage the growth of the EV market.
Source: New York Times
