On Wednesday, the Biden administration released updated pollution regulations for automobiles and trucks in an effort to speed up the transition to electric vehicles and combat climate change.

The guidelines establish ambitious goals for reducing emissions by 2032, but they have been slightly moderated compared to the initial standards announced last April. In response to criticism from carmakers, the finalized rules allow for more flexibility and gradually ease the benchmarks during the first three years.

The changes were condemned by one environmental organization for favoring corporations. However, other prominent NGOs specializing in climate change praised the final ruling.

The latest regulations, referred to by a member of the administration as the “most stringent to date,” would probably be reversed if Democrat Joe Biden fails to win against Republican Donald Trump in the upcoming November election. These rules call for a decrease of almost 50% in overall emissions by 2032, achieved through higher numbers of electric vehicle (EV) and low-emission automobile sales.

The regulations, which align with other major Biden initiatives to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations and production facilities and promote electric vehicle purchases, emphasize the environment as a crucial factor in the 2024 presidential election.

Trump has mocked climate change as a problem and cast the transition to EVs as a job-killer that will benefit China at the expense of American workers.

According to Biden, American car manufacturers should be at the forefront of the growing electric vehicle market.

“I united American car manufacturers. I united American car factory workers,” said Biden in a statement. “Together, we have achieved incredible advancements.”

Referring to his previous goal of having 50% of new cars be electric by 2030, Biden stated that “we will achieve this goal by 2030 and continue to make progress in the coming years.”

Electric vehicles made up 7.6% of sales in 2023, increasing from 5.9% in 2022, as reported by Cox Automotive.

The initial suggestion planned for the electric vehicle market to grow to a potential 67% of new car sales by 2032.

Car manufacturers, currently in the process of making large investments worth billions of dollars to increase their production of electric vehicles, voiced their dissatisfaction with the first set of regulations for being too strict. They pointed out the inadequate charging infrastructure in the United States which has decreased consumer interest, as well as challenges in obtaining the necessary metals and materials for electric vehicle batteries.

Based on feedback from the automotive industry, labor unions, and car dealerships, officials from the Biden administration have chosen to grant manufacturers multiple options for meeting the standard, according to a statement made on Tuesday by a senior official from the administration.

This route may incorporate a combination of electric vehicles, traditional engines with better fuel efficiency, and plug-in hybrid cars that have become increasingly popular.

The Biden administration chose to reduce the annual increase in emissions from 2027 to 2030, but keep the same goal for 2032.

According to John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, moderating the targets during the initial three years was a wise decision. Bozzella stated that the Alliance serves as a lobbying group for car manufacturers in Washington.

Bozzella stated that the revised EV goals, which are still considered ambitious, will provide an opportunity for the market and supply chains to keep up. He also mentioned that the extra time will allow for the installation of more EV charging stations.

According to an official document from the administration, the new regulations establish a goal for all vehicles to emit only 85 grams of carbon dioxide by 2032, a significant decrease from the previous goal of 170 grams by 2027.

On Wednesday, the new regulations received commendation from prominent environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club and NRDC. According to a statement from Manish Bapna, the head of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the rules are a step in the right direction.

However, Dan Becker, the director of the climate transport campaign at the Center for Biological Diversity, criticized the revised regulations as being “much weaker.”

According to Becker, the EPA succumbed to pressure from major car companies, oil companies, and car dealers and included loopholes in their plan that are large enough to fit a Ford F-150 through.

“The less strict regulation results in increased emissions from cars and pickup trucks, enabling oil companies to continue raising prices for consumers and allowing automakers to continue using stalling techniques.”

Source: voanews.com