After almost three years of work by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Biden administration has announced new regulations that will require automakers to focus on electric and hybrid vehicles by 2032, the New York Times reports.
On March 20, President Biden issued a statement about the change. "Three years ago, I set an ambitious target: that half of all new cars and trucks sold in 2030 would be zero-emission," he said. "Together, we've made historic progress. Hundreds of new expanded factories across the country. Hundreds of billions in private investment and thousands of good-paying union jobs. And we'll meet my goal for 2030 and race forward in the years ahead."
The new rules put increasing limits on tailpipe pollution — or the air pollution produced by cars. Traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, which burn gas or diesel for fuel, produce an incredible amount of this pollution: 3.3 billion tons in 2020 alone, according to Statista.
EVs produce no air pollution when driven, and hybrids produce less the more they rely on battery power.
The Biden administration's new rules gradually reduce the amount of tailpipe pollution that automakers are allowed to generate, the Times reveals, lowering pollution by 7 billion tons over the next 30 years by EPA estimates. This means they'd either have to make engines much cleaner or produce fewer ICE cars and fill out their lineups with EVs and hybrids instead.
The move is great news for American drivers, who can save significant money by switching to EVs. After a previous emission regulations update, the EPA estimated the average driver would save $1,100 per year in fuel and maintenance costs compared to those with ICE vehicles, and the total nationwide savings in the next 30 years could reach $1 trillion.
According to the Times, this bill will generate $100 billion in net benefits to society each year.
Meanwhile, every living thing on the planet will benefit from the drop in pollution. Cleaner air is healthier air, and it also traps less heat at the surface of the Earth — something we desperately need, since the current pollution levels have caused the highest temperatures on record.
John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, told the Times that the rules "are mindful of the importance of choice to drivers and preserve their ability to choose the vehicle that's right for them."
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