Stiff EPA emission limits to boost US electric vehicle sales

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is proposing stiff new automobile pollution limits that would require up to two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032, a nearly tenfold increase over current electric vehicle sales. A look at what the EPA is proposing, how the plan serves President Joe Biden’s ambitious goal to cut America’s planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, and whether the auto industry can meet the new EV targets: WHAT THE EPA IS PROPOSING: The proposed tailpipe pollution limits don’t require a specific number of electric vehicles to be sold every year but instead mandate limits on greenhouse gas emissions. WHAT THE AUTO INDUSTRY IS SAYING: John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing Ford, General Motors and other automakers, called the EPA proposal “aggressive by any measure” and wrote in a statement that it exceeds the Biden administration’s 50% electric vehicle sales target for 2030 announced less than two years ago. “How fast will depend almost exclusively on having the right policies and market conditions in place.” European car maker Stellantis said officials were “surprised that none of the alternatives” proposed by EPA “align with the president’s previously announced target of 50% EVs by 2030.’' HOW THE CHANGES COULD BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT: The proposed standards for light-duty cars and trucks are projected to result in a 56% reduction in projected greenhouse gas emissions compared with existing standards for model year 2026, the EPA said. Margo Oge, former head of EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality, called the tailpipe rules “the single most important regulatory initiative by the Biden administration to combat climate change and to really reduce the worst outcomes of climate change.” WHAT ELSE THE ADMNISTRATION IS DOING TO PROMOTE EVs: At present, many new EVs manufactured in North America are eligible for a $7,500 tax credit under the 2022 climate law, while used EVs can get up to $4,000.