In a move seen as part of its sweeping climate agenda, the Biden administration has unveiled the most aggressive tailpipe emissions standards ever crafted, with the goal of encouraging Americans to purchase electric vehicles (EVs).
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the vehicle pollution standards on Wednesday, impacting car model years 2027 through 2032. According to the White House, these regulations will “protect public health” by achieving carbon emission reductions of nearly 10 billion tons by 2055 and saving consumers an average of $12,000 over the lifetime of their vehicles.
The administration’s fact sheet stated, “Cars and truck manufacturers have made clear that the future of transportation is electric,” adding that “the market is moving.”
The fact sheet also emphasized President Biden’s enthusiasm for EVs and his Investing in America agenda, which aims to expand domestic manufacturing and accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicles, such as battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and fuel cell electric vehicles.
The White House projects that these sweeping measures will “accelerate the clean vehicle transition” and reduce oil imports by 20 billion barrels.
However, critics argue that stricter tailpipe emissions standards for traditional gas-powered cars mainly serve to increase prices, ensuring they remain cost-competitive with more expensive electric alternatives.
If the regulations are finalized, the White House predicts that an astonishing 67% of new sedan, crossover, SUV, and light truck purchases could be electric by 2032.
Additionally, up to 50% of bus and garbage truck, 35% of short-haul freight tractor, and 25% of long-haul freight tractor purchases could be electric by then.
These projections align with President Biden’s previous goal of ensuring that 50% of car purchases are electric by 2030.
The White House stated that the proposed rules would provide a “clear pathway for a continued rise in EV sales.”
Myron Ebell, the director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment, criticized the Biden administration’s approach, saying, “The Biden administration is trying to bend every federal rule they can find to force people into buying EVs.”
He added, “There is still a market that allows drivers to buy the vehicles of their choice, but government coercion is rapidly limiting those choices.”
Ebell also warned that if Biden’s policies succeed, consumers may soon face a choice between buying an EV and not being able to afford a vehicle at all.
According to a recent report from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, gas-powered cars accounted for 93% of all new car sales in 2022.
Additionally, data from Kelley Blue Book showed that the average cost of an EV in 2021 was $64,338, while the average cost of a compact gas-powered car was $26,101.
The Department of Energy also reported that the average range of 2021 gasoline vehicles was 403 miles, compared to the median 234-mile range of 2021 EVs.
Republican lawmakers have also criticized the proposed rule. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., argued that the Biden administration’s “anti-American energy policies put our nation on a dangerous path.” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, tweeted, “Biden’s radical EPA is trying to regulate your car’s engine into OBLIVION.”
In August 2021, President Biden signed an executive order requiring the EPA to introduce fuel efficiency and emissions standards to address the climate crisis.
Later, in a move reversing a Trump administration rule, the EPA finalized greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles produced between 2023 and 2026, which the agency described as the “most ambitious” rules of their kind.