Biden's electric vehicle push has received its newest legislation, as released by the Environmental Protection Agency. Although the new rules first loosen the tailpipe restrictions that were suggested last year, they ultimately approach the same stringent guidelines established by the EPA.
According to Reuters, the revised regulations cut the goal for adopting electric vehicles in the United States from 67% by 2032 to as low as 35% in response to opposition from the auto industry and auto workers in Michigan, a political battleground state.
(Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) As electric vehicles (EVs) become increasingly prevalent on roads, questions arise about their safety, particularly concerning the risk of electrocution.
Instead, the EPA implemented a "technology neutral" regulatory framework that gives automakers far more latitude in meeting emissions regulations through gas-electric hybrids.
Environmentalists have criticized this approach as a stopgap that prolongs the transition to electric vehicles. The agency also adopted "advanced gasoline" technology to conserve fuel, such as stop-start ignition systems, lighter cars, and turbocharging.
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EV Push Declines
The regulations are in place as sales of electric cars, which must comply with them, have started to decline.
The car industry objected to the EPA's proposed criteria, which were released in April of last year as part of an ambitious strategy to reduce planet-warming emissions from passenger vehicles, citing decreased sales growth.
As per an earlier Tech Times report, the changes appear to be directed at the industry's strong opposition to the rapid uptake of electric vehicles and the public's reluctance to fully embrace this new technology.
Furthermore, there is good reason to be concerned about possible legal challenges, particularly given the Supreme Court's current makeup, which has a 6-3 conservative majority.
The court has progressively reduced the power of government agencies, such as the EPA, in recent years.
As per CBS, Transportation accounts for 28% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. President Biden will benefit greatly from the new tailpipe emissions rule in his endeavor to meet his long-standing target of reducing total emissions by 50-52% from 2005 levels by the end of this decade.
EV Push's Advantages
The EPA has made it clear that this regulation is intended to address pollution and safeguard public health rather than requiring the use of electric vehicles.
The government projects that through 2055, the regulation will save consumers almost $46 billion in fuel savings and nearly $16 billion in driver maintenance and repair savings by encouraging the switch to cleaner, electricity-powered vehicles.
Although the construction of a nationwide network of EV charging stations has been delayed, the Biden administration has allocated $5 billion from the infrastructure law passed in late 2021 for this purpose.
The program's initial target of establishing 500,000 EV chargers by 2030 was stated at the program's debut in November 2021; however, the first charger was just operational in Ohio this past October.
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(Photo: Tech Times)
