Why the U.S. Auto Industry Needs to Move Back from Gas-Powered, Petrol-Positive, High-Energy Automobiles
The speed in which automakers will have to phase out their gas-powered vehicles in favor of ones that are all-electric will be determined Wednesday, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to release its new vehicle emissions rules.
The auto industry favors an alternative path that would see EVs hitting 50 percent of vehicle sales by 2030, in order to give them more time to meet the needs of consumers.
The EPA’s proposal last year would have required an auto industrywide reduction in emissions by over two-thirds by 2032. The plan was opposed by the companies and the autoworkers union because of slower sales of electric vehicles and the popularity of some hybrid vehicles.
Experts agree that regardless of the particulars of the final rule, the result will be a massive change in the kinds of cars that people drive and the amount of air they breathe.
But environmental groups have warned that more aggressive action is needed to tackle climate change. Privately owned vehicles make up over a quarter of all planet-warming emissions in the transportation sector. The auto industry was urged to accept stricter standards by climate activists in the build up to the announcement.
“There may be disagreement, how fast, how much,” Oge added, “but in my experience … the country needs to move forward by moving away from fossil fuels.”
“Today, we’re setting new pollution standards for cars and trucks,” President Biden said in a statement. “US workers will lead the world on autos making clean cars and trucks, each stamped ‘Made in America.’ You have given me my word.
Ali Zaidi, a climate advisor to the White House, said that he believed the final rule was increased flexibility that would still deliver massive gains for public health and the environment.
The EPA says that the new standards will result in a reduction of 7.2 billion metric tons of harmful carbon dioxide emissions over the life of the program and approximately $13 billion in health benefits.
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“For the person who thinks, ‘Gee, is my country doing what it needs to do to step up at this moment of crisis and lead by example?’” Zaidi said it was true. “The answer is yes.”
Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the planet has been getting about 1.2 degrees C hotter, which means that more extreme weather, more fires, and sea levels high enough to push coastal communities away from their homes. To keep those kinds of disasters from getting much worse, the Paris agreement seeks to limit warming to around 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Alliance for automotive innovation, the industry’s biggest lobbying group, said in a statement that slowing down was the right call. “These adjusted EV targets – still a stretch goal – should give the market and supply chains a chance to catch up.”
But there have also been delays. A scenario in which the EPA would not finalize its rules for emissions from gas-fired power plants until after the election was teed up recently by the agency.
“The bottom line is, this shows that leadership matters,” Zaidi said. “President Biden has prioritized public health, he’s prioritized environmental protection, he’s prioritized tackling the climate crisis, and he’s prioritized consumer savings.”