EPA proposes boosting EV sales through tight pollution limits

April 12 (UPI) -- The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed new limits on tailpipe emissions and a requirement that more than half of new vehicles manufactured in the United States be fully electric by 2032.

Under the proposed rules, 67% of new sedans, crossovers, SUVs, and light trucks would need to be fully electric by 2032; 50% of vocational vehicles, such as buses and garbage trucks; 35% of new short-haul freight tractors; and 25% of new long-haul freight tractors, the White House said.

"This is a very ambitious proposal," Regan said during a Tuesday news briefing. "This proposal solicits a number of ways to achieve these goals and we plan to strategically engage all our stakeholders."

Since taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden has made EV manufacturing a major priority, announcing billions in federal dollars for the effort which includes a plan to build a national network of charging stations over more than 75,000 miles of highways.

Over the same time, EV sales have seen significant gains but only accounted for about 6% of 13.8 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year.

The United States currently trails China and Europe in the global EV market.

In March, the administration announced new public and private partnerships to accelerate the production of EVs, which would transition the United States from gas-powered vehicles by 50% over the next seven years, the White House said.

The latest guidelines, however, present a more bare-knuckle strategy that will serve to speed up the nationwide transition to clean energy.

"The EPA's approach is technology-neutral, meaning that better-designed gas vehicles, hybrids, fuel cell vehicles, and other innovations could all be used to meet stricter standards," the White House said in a statement on the plan. "But with EV technology getting better and cheaper every day, and consumer demand rising rapidly, many manufacturers would likely rely on fully electric vehicles for compliance."

The proposed standards -- part of Biden's Investing in America agenda -- are expected to snuff out nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions per year and cut oil imports by 20 billion barrels while creating thousands of jobs and making the U.S. more competitive globally, the White House said.

The plan seeks to install new pollution-reducing technology in all vehicles to help cut greenhouse gases and boost vehicle emission standards to cut emissions from buses, freight trucks, and other heavy-duty vehicles, the White House said.

The guidelines are intended to strengthen EPA rules released in December 2022 on pollutant emissions from heavy-duty vehicles.

By going electric, consumers also stood to save $12,000 in fuel and maintenance costs over the lifetime of a vehicle, the White House said. Tax credits were also set to kick in that will make clean vehicles more affordable.

So far, Biden's agenda has invested nearly $25 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support clean transportation, including by building a national network of EV chargers and alternative-fuel stations, the White House said.

Another $6 billion in federal funding has been provided through the Inflation Reduction Act to extend loans and other incentives to promote EV manufacturing in the United States instead of abroad.

Federal funding will help modify domestic production lines for clean vehicles; while Tribal, state, and local governments will get aid to deploy clean heavy-duty vehicles.

The U.S. auto industry has already invested more than $120 billion in electric vehicle production and efforts to boost the car battery supply chain.

"The United States can seize this moment to secure American leadership in the global race to a clean transportation future, or let competitors like China out-compete us for the jobs and investments building that future," the White House said.