EPA Set To Propose Strictest Passenger Emissions Rules Ever

Various sources indicate that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon propose new vehicle emissions rules that could force automakers to ramp electric vehicle (EV) sales. The EPA will give automakers time to adjust to the new rules, which aren’t expected to go into place until the 2027 to 2032 model years.

Some sources believe the emissions target could mean that at least 50% of US vehicle fleet sales by 2030 will be electric or plug-in hybrids, given that is the number that was originally outlined by the Biden Administration in 2021. A more aggressive EPA target would align with state goals, such as California’s plan to ban the sale of new gasoline-only light-duty vehicles by 2035.

However, other sources expect the EPA rules will be far stricter. The New York Times said that as much as 67% of new vehicles sold in the United States by 2032 would have to be all-electric cars. Even if the EPA targets come in lower than expected, it will take a great deal for US EV adoption to come close to 50% by 2030 given that just 5.8% of cars sold in 2022 were electric.