Biden Announces New Emissions Standards, Aiming for 50% Electric Vehicles by 2030
August 5, 2021 - President Joe Biden announced Thursday that by 2030, half of all vehicles sold in the United States will be battery electric, fuel cell electric, or plug-in hybrid.
In addition to members of the United Auto Workers Union, Biden signed the executive order at the White House. According to a joint statement from the three automakers, the automakers “shared aspiration” that 40-50 percent of their cars sold by 2030 will be electric vehicles.
Biden said the future of American car manufacturing lies in electric vehicles while speaking on the South Lawn of the White House. “is electric and there’s no turning back.”
“The question is whether we’ll lead or fall behind in the race for the future,” Biden added.
President Biden made repeated references to the importance of assuring that electric vehicles and the batteries that power them are produced in the United States by union workers.
Trump-era fuel-emissions standards are also being restored, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation. 2023 model year vehicles will have standards that are 10 percent stricter than those in place under Trump’s administration, with standards increasing by 5 percent annually through 2026 model year vehicles.
The current mileage standard is 43.3 miles per gallon. The proposed emissions standard for 2026 is 52 miles per gallon. Under Obama administration rules, the standard for 2026 was set at 50.8 miles per gallon.
