The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency's new automotive rule, which seeks to cut passenger vehicle pollution in half by 2032, as reported by Reuters.
What's happening?
In March, the EPA issued a new rule encouraging automakers to reduce the number of gas-powered vehicles on the road by regulating tailpipe pollution. The standards, which would take effect for model years 2027 to 2032, seek to cut planet-warming automotive pollution by 49%.
While not a mandate, the EPA rule would push the industry to ramp up electric and hybrid vehicle production or create cleaner, more efficient gas-powered engines.
According to NPR, the auto industry could meet the proposed limits if 56% of new vehicle sales are electric by 2032. In 2023, only 7.6% of new vehicles sold were electric vehicles.
Recently, the House voted to repeal the rule in a 215 to 191 vote, with eight Democrats joining 207 Republicans in support. Republican lawmakers said the EPA regulations were too restrictive and would push gas-powered vehicle production overseas, according to Reuters. Critics also say the rule would force Americans to buy "unaffordable electric vehicles," AP reports.
Why is the EPA's clean vehicle rule important?
According to the EPA, transportation is the largest source of planet-warming pollution in the U.S., responsible for 28% of the country's annual environmental pollution. More than half of this transportation-based pollution — a whopping 57% — comes from passenger vehicles.
Putting more electric vehicles (or even hybrid vehicles) on the road is a key way the automotive industry can contribute to a cleaner planet. Unlike gas-powered vehicles, EVs produce no planet-warming air pollution when driven and don't require dirty energy sources like fossil fuels.
The EPA says its rule would improve public health, lowering the risk of respiratory irritation, illnesses, and cancers linked to air pollution. The agency also says the rule would cut annual costs for fuel, maintenance, and repairs by an estimated $62 billion.
What's being done to protect the EPA's EV rule?
The proposed repeal will now head to the Senate for a vote. If the Senate approves the repeal, the White House said President Joe Biden would veto the measure. However, with the presidential election looming, the rule faces an unsure future.
Former president Donald Trump vowed to repeal the EPA's rule if elected president. Republican states and oil industry groups are also challenging the standards in court in separate lawsuits filed earlier this year.
New Jersey Representative Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, told Reuters that Republicans want to "roll back common-sense air-pollution protections."
"It puts the profits of corporate polluters over the health and safety of the American people," he added.
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