The Biden administration rolled out a slate of new pollution standards for cars, light trucks, and medium-duty vehicles Wednesday, a move that, in part, aims to hasten the adoption of electric vehicles to combat climate change.
The rules would take effect for new vehicles manufactured starting with model year 2027 and work to boost sales of electric vehicles while reducing emissions in vehicles that run on fossil fuels.
The regulations would result in avoiding seven billion tons of carbon emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. More specifically, the agency stated the new standards would result in a 44 percent decrease of greenhouse gas emission from medium-duty vehicles, and a nearly 50 percent reduction for light-duty vehicles. It would also improve air pollution, with a 95 percent reduction in fine particulate matter caused by gas-powered vehicles.
The trade union representing over a million auto manufacturing employees, United Auto Workers, issued a statement in support of the rules, praising the balance it strikes for both climate goals and manufacturer adoption.
“The EPA has made significant progress on its final greenhouse gas emissions rule for light-duty vehicles,” the statement read. “By taking seriously the concerns of workers and communities, the EPA has come a long way to create a more feasible emissions rule that protects workers building ICE vehicles, while providing a path forward for automakers to implement the full range of automotive technologies to reduce emissions.”
The new rules for increasing electric vehicle sales will not be imposed on automakers until after 2030, but the shift has already begun to be born out by market demand. Last year, nearly 1.2 million electric vehicles were bought in the U.S., making up 7.6 percent of the country’s market share, according to Kelley Blue Book.
In a statement, Al Gore commented the new standards would be a boon to U.S. manufacturing.
“We have everything we need today to meet and exceed this standard, and that means more of the vehicles sold in America will be made in America,” Gore said.
