By TOM KRISHER and MATTHEW DALY (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is expected to announce new vehicle emission standards this week. These standards will be less strict for the next three years, but will eventually become as strict as the ones proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.
This change comes as sales of electric vehicles, which produce no emissions, have started to slow down. The auto industry has objected to the EPA's initial strict standards, which were part of a plan to significantly reduce emissions from passenger vehicles and relied on increased sales of electric vehicles to achieve this.
According to the EPA's preferred alternative, the auto industry could meet the limits if 67% of new vehicle sales are electric by 2032.
However, during a public comment period, the auto industry stated that these targets would be difficult to achieve due to the slowdown in electric vehicle sales. Consumers are concerned about the cost, driving range, and the availability of charging stations.
Sources familiar with the standards indicate that the Biden EPA will choose an alternative that delays the implementation of the stricter standards from 2027 to 2029, but will gradually increase to reach the preferred level from 2030 to 2032. Other adjustments will also be made to help the auto industry meet the standards, including changes to how electric vehicle fuel efficiency is measured.
The individuals, two from the auto industry and one from the government, did not want to be named because the new standards have not yet been made public by the EPA.
These changes seem to be aimed at addressing the strong opposition from the auto industry to the rapid increase in electric vehicles, as well as the public's hesitancy to fully adopt the new technology. Additionally, there is a legitimate concern about potential legal challenges in conservative courts.
In recent years, the Supreme Court, which now has a conservative majority of 6-3, has limited the authority of federal agencies, including the EPA. The court has restricted the EPA's ability to regulate air and water pollution and, in a significant 2022 ruling, limited the EPA's authority to control carbon dioxide emissions from power plants that contribute to global warming.
Biden has made combating climate change a central focus of his presidency and aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles, which are the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US.
At the same time, Biden needs the cooperation of the auto industry and political support from auto workers, a key voting bloc. The United Auto Workers union, which has endorsed Biden, supports the transition to electric vehicles but wants to ensure that jobs are preserved and that workers in the industry receive high wages for building electric vehicles and batteries.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated on Tuesday that White House officials have no concerns about the EPA rule, which could be announced as early as Wednesday.
She told reporters on Air Force One, as Biden travels to Nevada, that “We know, with these types of things, it takes time. But we’re still going to stay committed to our (climate) goals.”
In general, environmental organizations have been feeling positive about the new plan from the EPA.
Manish Bapna, who is the president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, told reporters last week that he believes the rule will greatly reduce carbon emissions from cars and light-duty trucks, which are responsible for one-fifth of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Bapna said that, based on the information they have, there is no doubt that the climate regulations for cars and light-duty trucks will cut more than 90% of the carbon pollution from new cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks over the next few decades. He added that this is a significant achievement.
According to Bapna, between 2027 and 2055, the EPA rule will prevent over 70 billion tons of climate-damaging carbon emissions, which is more than the nation produces in a year. He emphasized that this progress is absolutely crucial and concrete.
Amanda Leland, who is the executive director of the Environmental Defense Fund, another environmental group, said,“EPA’s clean car standards will accelerate efforts to achieve cleaner, healthier air for everyone in the U.S.”
Leland pointed out that tailpipes release harmful particle pollution and smog and are one of the largest sources of climate pollution in the nation. She added that strong clean car standards will help improve air quality, create a safer climate, lead to significant cost savings for families, and generate hundreds of thousands of new jobs in U.S. manufacturing.
Luke Tonachel, an automotive expert with the Natural Resources Defense Council, stated that the new clean-car standards will encourage the auto industry to continue investing in electric and zero-emission vehicles over the long term. He also mentioned that the rule will send a message to infrastructure providers and utilities to continue developing charging infrastructure.
However, Dan Becker at the Center for Biological Diversity expressed concern that loopholes in the standards will allow the industry to keep selling gas-powered vehicles. He also fears that little action will be taken during the first three years of the standards, which could be reversed if Donald Trump is elected president.
Becker stated,“The administration is giving in to pressure from big oil, big auto, and dealers to hinder progress on electric vehicles and allow more pollution from cars.”
At a Detroit-area rally in September, Trump claimed that Biden’s support for electric vehicles as part of his clean-energy agenda would lead to job losses. He accused Biden of selling out to China, environmental extremists, and the radical left.
Republicans and some in the industry have argued that the rule would mandate 67% of new vehicle sales to be electric by 2032, which would force people to buy cars, trucks, and SUVs that they are not yet willing to accept.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan has said the new rule is a performance standard that leaves it to the industry to come up with solutions.
In the U.S., electric vehicle sales increased by 47% last year to reach a record 1.19 million, and the EV market share rose from 5.8% in 2022 to 7.6%. However, the growth in EV sales slowed down towards the end of the year. In December, there was a 34% increase in EV sales.
The Alliance for Auto Innovation, a large industry trade group, stated in a news release that the EPA's increase to 67% initially proposed is too rapid for the industry to accomplish. The EPA's speed of EV adoption is quicker than President Joe Biden's aim of electric vehicles being half of U.S. new vehicle sales by 2030, the group noted.
The group mentioned that it's unclear where we will be in 2032 at this point. The group believes that slowing down the pace of EV adoption in 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030 is the right decision because it prioritizes more sensible and achievable electrification targets in the next few critical years.
The EPA's preferred standards reduce carbon dioxide emissions from 152 grams per mile in 2026 to 73 in 2032, a 52% decrease. The limits would reach 99 grams per mile by 2029.
However, according to environmental groups, the standards under the alternative expected to be adopted by the EPA would be relaxed in the first three years, reaching 112 grams by 2029 but still hitting 73 in 2032.
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AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher reported from Detroit. AP reporter Seung Min Kim on Air Force One contributed to this story.
