EPA Raises Emission Standards, Supports The Sale Of More EVs

The Biden Administration is proposing new tailpipe emissions standards, forcing carmakers to shift more focus on producing more electric vehicles. The new measures, announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), would require two-thirds of all new vehicle sales to be electric powered.

The proposal is the most stringent tailpipe emission regulation in American history.

The transportation sector creates the most carbon emissions in the U.S. The federal government reports that the industry generates 27 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the country.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the new standards would “tackle the climate crisis head-on” and help clear the air of pollutants.

“I believe we can [achieve the goal] because we’re following the market trends,” Regan said. “The consumer demand is there. The markets are enabling it. The technologies are enabling it. And this isn’t something that we just started yesterday. This has been part of President Biden’s vision from Day One.”

The U.S. has consistently pushed to build infrastructure around electric vehicles and motivate new car buyers to get into EVs. The Inflation Reduction Act added government rebates for EV buyers and supplied money to communities hoping to build new charging stations. The CHIPS Act partially funds U.S.-based microchip factories needed to build EV programs.

Still, EVs only account for about seven percent of new vehicle sales in the U.S.

Car manufacturers remain weary that they can meet the stringent standards set by the EPA.

“The question isn’t can this be done, it’s how fast can it be done,” John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said in a statement. “How fast will depend almost exclusively on having the right policies and market conditions in place.”