The Biden administration is asking automakers to voluntarily pledge to making 40 percent of their new vehicle lineups fully electric by 2030. This is part of a push to make the transportation industry more sustainable.
According to Reuters, although some reports have suggested that the number will be as high as 50 percent, a United Auto Workers spokesperson said that the number would actually be 40 percent.
While the union has opposed EV mandates, since the vehicles require fewer parts and, thus, fewer workers, the Democratic party has been pushing for binding targets. Party members have argued that the country should follow California and other countries’ leads in setting 2035 as a phase-out date for internal combustion vehicles.
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Independently of the Biden administration, America’s big three automakers have all already announced similar EV targets. While GM has promised to end the sale of internal combustion vehicles altogether by 2035, both Ford and Stellantis have said that they intend to have 40 percent of their sales be electric by 2030.
Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that the Biden administration is looking to have the EPA review its fuel economy standards. The move will force automakers to improve their fuel economy by 3.7 percent each year between 2023 and 2026, at which point the standards will become even more stringent.
Although this would walk back more lenient rules set by the Trump administration, they won’t get back to the even more ambitious standards set by the Obama administration until 2026.
