WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday it is starting efforts to reverse the Biden administration’s vehicle emissions rules that would force automakers to build a rising number of electric vehicles.
The action is the latest in the Trump administration’s sweeping moves to undo the prior administration’s efforts to prod automakers to build electric vehicles after rescinding a push to make EVs at least 50% of new vehicles by 2030.
The EPA said it would reconsider the agency’s 2024 rules that would cut passenger vehicle fleetwide tailpipe emissions by nearly 50% by 2032 compared with 2027 projected levels. The EPA has forecast that between 35% and 56% of new vehicles sold between 2030 and 2032 would need to be electric in order to comply and has won support from Ford Motor.
The EPA said it is also reconsidering a 2022 regulation that aims to drastically cut smog- and soot-forming emissions from heavy-duty trucks, saying the rule makes trucks more expensive.
The 2022 standards are 80% more stringent than prior standards and the agency estimated the rule would result in up to 2,900 fewer premature deaths annually, 1.1 million fewer lost school days for children and $29 billion in annual net benefits.
The EPA in February submitted the Biden administration’s approval of California’s landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035 to Congress for review and possible repeal, but a government agency said last week the decision is not reviewable.
Congress separately is considering efforts to repeal EV tax credits.
In January, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy moved to rescind fuel economy standards issued under Biden that aimed to drastically reduce fuel use for cars and trucks. He has also frozen funding to states for EV charging.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in June said it would hike Corporate Average Fuel Economy requirements to about 50.4 miles per gallon (4.67 liters per 100 km) by 2031 from 39.1 mpg currently for light-duty vehicles. Duffy also directed NHTSA to reconsider rules for heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans through 2035.
NHTSA said in June the rule for passenger cars and trucks would reduce gasoline consumption by 64 billion gallons through 2050 and cut emissions by 659 million metric tons. It said while some vehicles would be more expensive to buy, consumers would save on fuel costs and estimated net benefits of $35.2 billion.
Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Andrea Ricci
