Final EPA Rule Eases Up on EV Push, but Tough Targets Remain
The Environmental Protection Agency’s final rule on 2027-32 vehicle emissions slows the transition to electric vehicles between now and 2030, and then gives more space for hybrids and plug-in hybrids to help meet the new standard. The agency’s proposed standards released last April would have mandated zero-emission vehicles make up two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the United States by 2032 after a steep ramp-up beginning in 2027 that drew heavy opposition from assembly plant workers and car dealers alike. Under the final standards released this week, “from 2030-2032 manufacturers may choose to produce battery-electric vehicles for about 30% to 56% of new light-duty vehicle sales and about 20% to 32% of new medium-duty vehicle sales,” the EPA states in its regulatory announcement. (EPA Administrator Michael Regan has submitted the rule for publication in the Federal Register to make it official.) “EPA also pr
