Biden unveils tough emissions rule to force Americans to buy electronic vehicles

President Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled the strictest regulations yet on auto emissions in a bid to push more Americans to buy expensive electric vehicles.

The strict new pollution limits would require 67% of all new vehicles sold in the US by 2032 to be electric, which is about 10 times the number currently sold and well above the president’s previous pledge of 50% of electric cars will be cars sold in 2030.

But Americans aren’t totally sold on the deal, according to a new Gallup survey released on Wednesday, citing the high cost of electric cars as the main reason not to buy one.

According to Kelly Blue Book, the average cost of an electric car in 2022 was $64,338, while the average cost of a gas-powered car was significantly lower at $46,000.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s new emissions rule will affect car model years 2027 through 2032, requiring an annual average pollution reduction of 13%.

“As a car enthusiast and self-proclaimed car enthusiast, President Biden seizes the moment,” the White House said in a statement on the new regulations.

Electronic vehicle purchases will nearly double in 2022 from previous years, according to estimates from Kelley Blue Book, but will still account for just 5.8% of total vehicle sales – up from 3.2% in 2021.

The Gallup survey echoed those numbers: 41% of Americans said they wouldn’t buy an electric car, and only 4% currently own one.

The poll also showed that 60% of respondents do not even think that electric cars contribute to the fight against climate change. There are also concerns about whether there are enough charging stations. and the fact that they are less efficient.

Gas vehicles have an average range of 403 miles compared to electric cars with a range of 234 miles, according to the Department of Energy.

Meanwhile, the White House has earmarked $5 billion for the infrastructure bill to help states build a network of EV charging stations.

However, the Biden administration claims that momentum is on their side.

“Car and truck manufacturers have made it clear that the future of transportation is electric,” the White House said. “The market moves.”

Some Republicans were critical of the plan.

“It will make cars much more expensive for every American,” Tennessee Republican Senator Bill Hagerty wrote on Twitter.

Americans cite the high cost of electric vehicles and the lack of charging stations as reasons why they don’t want to buy one

EPA Administrator Michael Regan praised the environmental benefits of the new emissions rule

Biden’s new emissions rule does not require a certain number of EVs to be sold each year.

But pollution standards for cars and trucks would force the auto industry to sell more EVs to meet the emissions requirement.

John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents major U.S. and foreign automakers, questioned the EPA’s purpose.

“Yes, America’s transition to a future of electric and low-carbon transportation is well underway,” he said in a statement. “Electric car and battery production is on the rise across the country as automakers themselves have funded billions to expand vehicle electrification.

It is also true that the EPA’s proposed emissions plan is aggressive in every way.

“Remember this: A lot has to go right for this massive – and unprecedented – change in our automotive market and industrial base to succeed,” he said.

Auto companies had already pledged to back Biden’s original proposal to make up 50% of cars sold by electric cars by 2030.

In 2021 General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis NV voluntarily agreed to electrify between 40% and 50% of their annual car sales in the US by the 2030 deadline.

But automakers have expressed concerns about the lack of charging infrastructure and the supply of necessary minerals to make batteries for the EVs.

Still, the administration is focused on the environmental impact of the new regulation.

The EPA projects that its new standards would avoid nearly 10 billion tons of carbon emissions by 2055, equivalent to more than double the total U.S. carbon emissions by 2022.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said it was “the strictest federal pollution standards ever for cars and trucks.”

“Together, these actions will accelerate the ongoing transition to a clean vehicle future, address the climate crisis and improve our air quality for communities across the country,” he said.

Vehicle emissions are the largest source of greenhouse gases in the United States.

Biden has pledged to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by the end of the decade and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.