Biden Administration Finalizes Environmental Regulations Targeting Gas-Powered Vehicles
The Biden administration has recently announced its plans to implement new environmental regulations that will curb gas-powered vehicle tailpipe emissions. This decision is part of the administration’s broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat global warming. The White House and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly unveiled these highly-anticipated regulations, which are expected to be the most aggressive multi-pollutant emission standards ever finalized.
While these regulations primarily target gas-powered vehicles, their ultimate goal is to promote the wider adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across the nation. According to officials, these regulations are projected to ensure that nearly 70% of all new car sales are zero-emissions within a few years. White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi emphasized that President Biden’s agenda is focused on investing in America, its workers, and the unions that have played a crucial role in building the country’s middle class and establishing the U.S. auto sector as a global leader.
EPA administrator Michael Regan added that these regulations solidify America’s leadership in building a clean transportation future, reducing climate emissions from the transportation sector, and creating good-paying American jobs. The regulations will compel automakers to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter from new passenger cars, light trucks, and larger pickups and vans starting from model year 2027 vehicles.
According to administration officials, these regulations will have a significant impact on the climate crisis by reducing the transportation sector’s carbon dioxide emissions by a staggering 7.2 billion metric tons over the course of the program, which will be in effect through 2032. Furthermore, officials claim that billions of barrels of oil will be saved within three decades due to these regulations.
When these tailpipe emissions rules take effect, automakers will be required to increase production and sales of EVs, plug-in hybrids, traditional hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles. The EPA outlined a “low-cost” model in the rule, which would mandate that 56% of light-duty car sales are battery electric and another 13% are hybrid by 2032. These regulations represent a scaled-down version of the original proposal, as the White House adjusted its projections after receiving feedback from automakers and labor groups.
President Biden expressed his satisfaction with the EPA’s regulations, stating that they ensure the nation meets his goal of having 50% of all new car sales be electric by 2030. However, industry groups and Republican lawmakers have criticized these regulations, arguing that they limit consumer choice and will result in higher costs across the board.
Chet Thompson, President, and CEO of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, and Mike Sommers, President, and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, issued a joint statement calling on Congress to intervene and block these regulations, claiming that they will eliminate most new gas cars and traditional hybrids from the U.S. market in less than a decade. They further stated that this policy would make new gas-powered vehicles either unavailable or prohibitively expensive for most Americans.
Other industry groups, including those representing farmers, consumers, and auto dealers, have also voiced concerns about the consequences of these regulations. The National Corn Growers Association President Harold Wolle warned that the regulations would severely hamper the administration’s ability to reach its climate goals and harm family farms and rural communities that rely heavily on the sale of biofuels.
Despite the criticism, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a group representing major automakers, acknowledged that the adjusted EV targets in the regulations are more reasonable than the original proposals. Alliance President and CEO John Bozzella stated that moderating the pace of EV adoption in the next few years was the right call, as it prioritizes more achievable electrification targets.
Republican lawmakers have immediately condemned these regulations and promised to take action to overturn them before they are implemented. Rep. Randy Feenstra criticized President Biden’s decision, calling it reckless and misinformed. He urged the president to reverse the regulations and allow American families to decide which vehicles are best for them. Rep. Tim Walberg, who introduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act, accused the Biden administration of trying to change consumer demand through top-down government edicts, which would eliminate American jobs and link the auto industry with the Chinese Communist Party.
Sens. Pete Ricketts and Dan Sullivan also pledged to introduce resolutions blocking the finalized regulations. They described the plan as delusional and argued that it would require an act of Congress to move forward.
The debate surrounding these regulations highlights the significant divide between the Biden administration’s environmental goals and the concerns of industry groups and Republican lawmakers. The impact of these regulations on consumers, the auto industry, and the nation’s efforts to combat climate change remains a subject of intense debate and scrutiny.
