The Biden administration has proposed the most aggressive pollution restrictions on the auto industry in U.S. history, in a bid to prod car giants to relegate gasoline-powered vehicles to the rearview mirror. The new EPA rules, announced today, could significantly limit planet-warming emissions from passenger cars and heavy-duty trucks — major drivers of the climate crisis. The goal is to make electric vehicles 67 percent of new car sales by 2032 and transform the way Americans travel. In other words, the standards are a "big f--ing deal," as President Joe Biden said in another context, write POLITICO reporters Tanya Snyder, James Bikales and Alex Guillén. After taking office, Biden wrangled the auto industry to agree to boost electric vehicle sales to 50 percent of new cars and trucks by decade’s end. EPA’s rules would turn that voluntary target into a more ambitious regulatory requirement. The industry has the help of billions of dollars in subsidies through last year’s landmark climate law. New and enhanced tax credits will boost efforts to build EV factories and charging stations in an effort to bring down consumer costs. But automakers remain somewhat wary. A $7,500 tax credit for electric car buyers — meant to boost demand — is available for only a limited number of models, thanks to strict requirements that the cars be made and sourced in the United States or its closest trading partners. The supply of minerals needed for EV batteries, charging stations, affordable models and consumer interest are also a concern — not to mention whether the electric grid is ready to supply the extra energy needed to power EVs. And the EPA proposals, which will be subject to a public review (and likely many legal challenges), are ruffling Republican feathers on Capitol Hill. “This is short-sighted policy that puts the interests of the American people last, and EPA officials should be prepared to provide Congress [with] an explanation,” House Oversight and Accountability Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) told E&E News reporter Emma Dumain. There’s already speculation that GOP lawmakers will attempt to overturn the rules through the Congressional Review Act, a legislation tool used to repeal recent federal regulations (that can be vetoed by the president). Still, Democrats and electric vehicle advocates say the rules are a game-changer. The administration said the new standards would save the economy $850 billion to $1.6 trillion between 2027 and 2055, avoid about 20 billion barrels in oil imports and save the average buyer of a car or light-duty truck $12,000 over the vehicle’s lifetime.
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