The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce this week a proposal that would require automakers to sell more electric vehicles in the U.S., aiming to make them the majority of new car sales by 2032.
The proposal, which has not been made public yet, would set some of the world’s most stringent limits on tailpipe emissions, according to sources familiar with the plan. It would mandate that EVs make up between 54% and 60% of all new cars sold in the U.S. by 2030, and between 64% and 67% by 2032.
The rule would be a major boost for the EV industry, which accounted for only 5.8% of U.S. vehicle sales last year. It would also align with President Joe Biden’s goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2030 from 2005 levels, as transportation is the largest source of carbon pollution in the country.
But the rule could also face legal challenges and political opposition from some automakers, especially those that have been slow to adopt electric technology. The proposal would go through a public comment period and could be altered by the government before it is finalized [2].
The rule would also create urgency for other sectors involved in the EV transition, such as charging infrastructure, grid upgrades and battery supply chains. The U.S. currently lags behind other countries such as China and Europe in terms of EV market share and charging availability.
The EPA’s move would be a significant departure from the previous administration, which rolled back Obama-era standards on fuel economy and emissions. The agency’s administrator, Michael S. Regan, is expected to announce the proposal on Wednesday in Detroit [1], the heart of the U.S. auto industry.
References:
[1]: In big climate move, EPA set to unveil tough limits on auto emissions
[2]: A dramatic new EPA rule will force up to 60% of new US car sales to be EVs in just 7 years