Biden tightens vehicle emission standards

According to senior government officials, President Biden will announce two policies today aimed at reducing vehicle emissions and accelerating the widespread adoption of electric vehicles to combat climate change and surpass Chinese manufacturers in the competition.

The long-awaited move will usher in one of the strongest climate regulations ever in the United States, with the goal of 50% of all cars sold by 2030 being electric. Government officials praised the plan as a “paradigm shift.”

However, some climate experts say these policies are not enough to prevent catastrophic warming, and critics say Biden’s efforts are unparalleled compared to stronger actions taken by Europe and other countries.

The first part of the government’s plan is to restore former President Obama’s greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for light vehicles, which have been cancelled by former President Trump. The proposed rules jointly developed by the EPA and a department within the Department of Transportation will gradually increase fuel efficiency requirements until the 2026 model year.

The President will also sign an executive order tomorrow, accompanied by auto industry officials and union representatives, to set a goal that half of all car sales within nine years will be electric models. Eligible vehicles include electric, plug-in hybrid, and battery and fuel cell electric vehicles.

The order will also direct federal agencies to begin drafting fuel efficiency standards for cars manufactured after 2026.

Experts say that these new exhaust pipe rules are critical to achieving Biden’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Transportation is the country’s largest source of greenhouse gases, and automobiles are the main source of carbon pollution.

General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Stellattis NV, a company formerly known as Fiat Chrysler, praised Biden’s plan to sign an executive order, but did not firmly commit to achieving the 50% electric vehicle goal. The two companies stated that they “have a common desire to achieve 40-50% of the annual sales of electric vehicles in the United States.”

The two companies said in a joint statement: “Our recent product, technology, and investment announcements underscore our collective commitment to become a leader in the transition to electric vehicles in the United States.”

During the Obama administration, auto companies must increase fuel economy by 5% every year before 2026. But Trump reduced this ratio to 1.5% per year. Trump also abolished California’s legal power to set its own standards, and the Biden administration is working hard to restore these standards.

In 2019, five auto companies including Ford, BMW, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Volkswagen and Volvo broke with their competitors and reached an agreement with California to increase the miles per gallon by 3.7% per year.

Biden’s proposed rules will apply to the 2023 California framework and increase the mileage standard to 5% in 2025 and at least 5% in 2026.

Paul Bledsoe, a strategic adviser at the Institute for Progressive Policy, said the proposed rules are “radical.”

“But more broadly, the government is trying to provide market incentives for automakers to switch their fleets to electric vehicles,” said Bledsoe, who worked as a consultant to the Department of Energy in the Obama administration and worked on climate change in the Clinton administration.

“Regulations are just the backing of attempts to change the entire industry through consumer demand and technological advancement.”

But Dan Sperling, a member of the California Air Resources Board, said that these standards are not enough to motivate car companies to expand sales of electric vehicles.

He said: “This is a juggling of the transition to electric vehicles.” “Other countries have stricter standards and more active commitments to electric vehicles, including Europe and China.”

According to a report issued by the International Energy Agency earlier this year, the European Union proposed to ban the sale of gasoline engines by 2035, which is a necessary step to avoid catastrophic warming.Climate line, May 18).

California and Massachusetts have also pledged to stop selling gasoline-powered cars by 2035, and at least 11 other states are considering doing so.

“The government will announce this as if it is a major sign of climate progress,” said Holly Burke, the communications director of Operation Evergreen.

According to current federal policy, Rhodium analysis It is estimated that by 2026, electric vehicle sales will account for 11% to 19% of new car purchases.

By 2031, Rhodium has found that electric vehicles are expected to reach 27% to 39% of new car purchases.

“And the frustrating thing is [the benchmarks are] It’s far below what they need to achieve-and not as ambitious as they seem to be easy to do,” Burke said.

Biden has made electric vehicles the cornerstone of its climate agenda. But he hardly made any hard promises on how to reshape transportation.

He campaigned for specific goals for environmental justice, the power sector, buildings, and achieving net zero emissions across the economy. During his tenure, he set a stronger benchmark for national decarbonization.

But environmentalists say that his transportation goals are still difficult to determine—the opposite of how it should be. The president’s power in traffic emissions surpasses almost any other department.

Burke said: “Among the things that Biden can do with the climate through his existing executive power, the car is one of the most useful places for him.”

Biden’s car rulemaking coincided with his troubles in Congress’s electric car agenda.

Biden promised to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, but after the bipartisan infrastructure agreement cut funding, the White House began to downplay this promise.

The expenditure plan is expected to provide 7.5 billion US dollars for electric vehicle chargers. This is half of the government’s plan, although some officials believe it is still sufficient to achieve Biden’s charging goal.