President Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled the toughest rules yet for auto emissions in an effort to get more Americans to buy expensive electric cars.
Tough new pollution limits require that 67% of all new cars sold in the United States by 2032 be electric, which is 10 times more than what is sold currently and is much higher than the previous president’s commitment that electric vehicles make up 50% of cars sold by 2030. .
But Americans weren’t completely sold on the deal, according to A new Gallup poll released on Wednesday, citing the rising cost of electric vehicles as the main reason not to buy one.
The average cost of an electric vehicle in 2022 was $64,338 while the average cost of a gas-powered vehicle was much lower at $46,000, according to Kelley Blue Book.
The EPA’s new emissions rule will affect vehicle model years 2027 to 2032, requiring an annual pollution reduction of 13%.
“As a car enthusiast and self-proclaimed motorist, President Biden is seizing the moment,” the White House said in a statement on the new regulations.
President Joe Biden announces the toughest new car emissions rules in the US yet – higher than Biden in an F150 electric truck in Michigan in May 2021
E-vehicle purchases nearly doubled in 2022 from previous years, Kelley Blue Book estimates, but they’re still just 5.8% of all car sales — up from 3.2% in 2021.
A Gallup poll reflected these numbers, with 41% of Americans saying they would never buy an electric car and only 4% currently owning one.
The survey also found that 60% of respondents don’t even think that electric vehicles help fight climate change. There are also concerns about whether there will be enough charging stations. And the fact that it is less efficient.
Gas-powered vehicles have an average range of 403 miles compared to electric vehicles’ 234-mile range, according to the Energy Department.
Meanwhile, the White House has appropriated $5 billion from the Infrastructure Act to help states build a network of electric vehicle charging stations.
However, the Biden administration claims the 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 is moving.”
Some Republicans have criticized the plan.
“This will make cars much more expensive for every American,” Republican Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee wrote on Twitter.
Americans cite the high cost of electric cars and the lack of charging stations as reasons why they don’t want to buy them
EPA Administrator Michael Reagan spoke about the environmental benefits of its new emissions rule
Biden’s new emissions rule doesn’t require a set amount of electric vehicles to be sold each year.
But pollution standards for cars and trucks will force the auto industry to sell more electric vehicles in order to meet emissions requirements.
John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents major automakers in the United States and abroad, questioned the EPA’s goal.
“Yes, America’s transition to an electric, low-carbon transportation future is well underway,” he said in a statement. Manufacturing of electric and battery cars is increasing across the country because automakers have self-funded billions to expand the electrification of cars.
It’s also true that the EPA’s proposed emissions plan is robust by all accounts.
“Remember this: Things have to go well for this massive – and unprecedented – change in our automotive market and industrial base to succeed.”
Car companies had already pledged to stick to Biden’s original proposal that electric vehicles make up 50% of cars sold by 2030.
In 2021, General Motors Corporation, Ford Motor Company and Stellantis NV have voluntarily agreed that between 40% and 50% of their annual vehicle sales in the US will be electric by the 2030 deadline.
But automakers have expressed concern about the lack of charging infrastructure and the supply of minerals needed to make batteries for electric cars.
However, the administration is focusing on the environmental impact of the new regulation.
The Environmental Protection Agency projects that its new standards will avoid nearly 10 billion tons of carbon emissions through 2055, more than double the total carbon emissions of the United States in 2022.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said they were “the strongest federal pollution standards ever for cars and trucks.”
“Together, these actions will accelerate the continued transition to a clean car 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 US greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by the end of the decade and to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
