Media reports have surfaced regarding a planned announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed to ensure that all-electric cars make up as much as 67 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in the country by 2032.
According to the New York Times, "The proposed rule would not mandate that electric vehicles make up a certain number or percentage of sales. Instead, it would require that automakers make sure the total number of vehicles they sell each year did not exceed a certain emissions limit. That limit would be so strict that it would force carmakers to ensure that two thirds of the vehicles they sold were all-electric by 2032."
In 2021 roughly 6% of vehicles sold were electric. Increasing that percentage by a multiple of 10 in less than a decade presents numerous challenges. Sourcing the materials to make the batteries, building an adequate number of charging stations and ensuring the electrical grid is safe and secure to meet the increased demands are all major issues.
This potential EPA announcement comes as states around the nation are tackling the issues very differently. While California has been at the forefront of the attacks on combustion engines, other states have sought to protect such engines. This week lawmakers in Wisconsin held hearings on legislation that would protect the combustion engine. The legislative analysis of Wisconsin S.B. 212/ A.B. 142 states, "Under this bill, no state agency and no local governmental unit may restrict the use or sale of motor vehicles based on the energy source used to power the motor vehicle, including use for propulsion or use for powering other functions of the motor vehicle."
The federal government is also split on the issue. While the Biden Administration is pushing for increased sales of electric vehicles, Republicans in Congress last month introduced H.R. 1435 the "Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act," that would amend the Clean Air Act to prevent the elimination of the sale of internal combustion engines.
The MRF’s 2023 legislative agenda states the MRF will, "Work to ensure the survival of internal combustion engines," to do that we will keep you posted on this situation as it develops and seek your help with an upcoming call to action.
Stay tuned…
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