The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the rules will drastically reduce emissions and reduce the pollution burden.
The administration of President Joe Biden has proposed new emission standards for cars that could lead to about two-thirds of all new vehicles sold in the United States being electric by 2032, in an ambitious effort to reduce emissions and air pollution.
The proposed rules were announced Wednesday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with the federal agency stating that the standards would result in a reduction of about 10 billion tons of carbon emissions by 2055, the equivalent of about twice the country’s total emissions. in 2022.
“Today, the EPA announced new proposed federal vehicle emission standards that will accelerate the continued transition to a clean vehicle future and address the climate crisis,” the agency said in a statement. press release.
“The proposed standards would improve air quality for communities across the country, especially communities that have carried the burden of polluted air.”
The rules would subject cars produced between 2027 and 2032 to the most ambitious requirements yet.
They came as the Biden administration was recently criticized for failing to deliver on promises to drastically cut emissions and keep the US away from polluting fossil fuels.
Today, my administration is announcing new proposed emission standards for cars and trucks that would reduce our carbon emissions by nearly 10 billion tons and improve the health of millions — all while saving people money.
That is almost twice the annual emissions of the United States. pic.twitter.com/yH1W4eUeyv
—President Biden (@POTUS) April 12, 2023
According to the EPA, transportation was responsible for about 27 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and the proposed standards build on previous initiatives promoted by the Biden administration.
Those efforts included the Inflation Reduction Act, a major spending package that Biden signed into law in August 2022 that included clean energy investments and tax credits for electric vehicle buyers and manufacturers.
The EPA stated that the proposed rules would reduce U.S. oil imports by about 20 billion barrels and save consumers about $12,000 over the life of a light commercial vehicle.
Reducing pollution from vehicle emissions can also have significant public health benefits, especially in communities near transportation hubs.
According to the World Health Organization, air pollution from various sources has contributed to about seven million premature deaths around the world each year. The organization called cleaner transportation a way to “effectively reduce key sources of air pollution”.
‘Well done, this one [new rules] will put the U.S. on track to end vehicle exhaust pollution,” said Manish Bapna, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group.
However, some auto industry groups have said the proposals far exceed previous targets. They pointed to a goal set by the Biden administration less than two years ago, which is that half of all vehicles sold in the US should be electric by 2030.
“The question is not whether this can be done, but how soon it can be done,” John Bozzella, CEO of industry group Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said in a statement. “How soon will depend almost exclusively on the right policies and market conditions.”
Bozzella called the proposal “aggressive in every way”. While EV sales are up, they accounted for just over 7 percent of U.S. car sales in the first quarter of the year.