White House to Slow EV Standards, Rolling Back Scale of Rules intended for Cleaner Cars
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Biden administration is expected to slow the pace of new standards for car pollution, giving automakers increased leeway in the amount of hazardous emissions cars are allowed to produce, according to reporting. As a result of the roll back, automakers will face less pressure to transition their fleets toward electric vehicles (EVs) over coming years, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles, which make up the largest single source of greenhouse gasses emitted by the United States. Chelsea Hodgkins, senior EV advocate with Public Citizen’s Climate Program, issued the following statement:
“A decision by President Biden to roll back the scale of his planned transition to EVs would be a monumental failure of his administration and of industry to take action toward a fossil free future.
“President Biden isn’t leaning into his full power to accelerate government action on one of the most effective strategies for preventing climate chaos–electrifying transport. In scaling back his ambition, he is cowtowing to the auto industry’s propaganda.
“For decades, Big Auto has employed the same playbook as Big Oil to delay and prevent progress on rules that would clean our air, fight climate change, and save lives. Study after study, including the administration’s own annual reporting, shows that the technology to reduce emissions and electrify fleets is not only available, but it will save automakers money in compliance fees and consumers money on fueling and overall costs. Yet, decades of the auto industry dragging its feet to take action means that it is further behind the curve.
“Automakers have had decades to drive forward the transition to electric vehicles. They have failed time and again. The only factor that will usher in the needed transition to electric vehicles is firm and specific government requirements. Consumers will embrace electric vehicles when automakers make them the attractive option – which they will only do when the government requires them to do so.
“With climate change fast accelerating, this is no time to capitulate to corporate demands. There’s still time for the Biden administration to avoid this epic error and recommit to science-backed actions it has started. The world is on fire. We need the Biden administration to maintain strong emissions rules that are one of the biggest extinguishers.”
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