The EPA recently announced the proposal of strict new federal restrictions on pollution from cars, encouraging Americans to buy electric vehicles instead of their gas-burning counterparts.
EVs are already increasing in popularity, making up 10% of worldwide new car sales in 2022. But according to the New York Times, the U.S. government wants to pick up the pace.
Previously, President Joe Biden set a goal to ensure that half of all new cars are electric by 2030.
EPA projected in April that, with the proposed rules for model year 2032 vehicles, EVs could account for 67% of new light-duty vehicle sales and 46% of new medium-duty vehicle sales. It also projected that meeting the new rules would be achieved with electric or fuel cell technologies in 25% to 50% or more of heavy-duty vehicles (larger trucks).
EPA administrator Michael S. Regan delivered the announcement about the newly proposed pollution regulations in Washington on April 12. Regan called the rules "the most ambitious pollution standards ever for cars and trucks."
"These ambitious standards are readily achievable thanks to President Biden's Investing in America agenda, which is already driving historic progress to build more American-made electric cars and secure America's global competitiveness," Regan added.
According to the EPA, the new rules would save U.S. taxpayers money while promoting American independence and self-sufficiency. The agency predicted that vehicles that meet the new standards would save the average consumer $12,000 over the lifespan of a light-duty vehicle in fuel and maintenance costs, compared to a similar car that doesn't meet the standards.
Meanwhile, more EV use means the U.S. won't have to import as much fuel. The EPA estimates the move will save about 20 billion barrels of oil in the coming decades. This means less reliance on other countries.
Finally, the new regulations are expected to prevent almost 10 billion tons of heat-trapping CO2 from entering the atmosphere, helping with efforts to cool down the planet.
To pivot so sharply to EVs, America will have to make many changes, the Times says. Automakers have doubled the number of electric models available since Biden took office, according to the EPA's news release. Although EVs are still far from the majority of total cars sold.
Meanwhile, to support millions of EVs on the roads, the country will need to add charging stations quickly. However, the Biden administration has already started funding new EV infrastructure. The change is ambitious but not impossible.
"This is a massive undertaking," John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, told the Times. "It is nothing short of a complete transformation of the automotive industrial base and the automotive market."
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