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Biden Administration To Ease EV Sales Regulations

The Biden administration is reportedly set to announce relaxed requirements for EV sales this coming Spring, signaling a shift in strategy intended to significantly reduce vehicle emissions and increase all-electric vehicle adoption over the next few years.

Per a report from The New York Times, which cites anonymous sources familiar with the plans, the shift is a result of concessions made to automakers and labor unions, key groups for Biden during an election year. While the current administration will continue to push for increased restrictions on vehicle emissions, relaxed regulations on electric vehicle sales are set to include a slower pace for automaker compliance before a more rapid EV adoption rate after 2030.

The charging port on an electric vehicle. The Biden administration will reportedly ease requirements on new EV sales.

The Biden administration is reportedly conceding to pressure from automakers who have expressed concerns over the feasibility of meeting the original EV targets in the face of high costs, a sparse vehicle charging network, and lower-than-expected demand among consumers. What’s more, some labor unions, in particular the United Auto Workers (UAW), have expressed concerns that the proposed industry-wide EV transition could lead to job losses, given EVs typically require fewer parts and fewer workers to manufacture.

This forthcoming policy change marks a significant shift for the current administration amid calls to significantly reduce carbon emissions. Last year, the EPA proposed very strict emissions standards for vehicles produced between the 2027 and 2032 model years as a means of accelerating the sale of new all-electric vehicles. The proposal projected that 67 percent of new vehicles sold should be all-electric by 2032, potentially reducing carbon emissions by 7.3 billion tons by 2055.

However, automakers and industry groups pushed back on the proposal, saying that the standards are unrealistic. In addition, the UAW withheld its support for Biden’s reelection, despite Biden becoming the first sitting president to stand with workers on a picket line during last year’s UAW strike. The UAW has since endorsed Biden for reelection.

Meanwhile, Biden’s Republican opponent, Donald Trump, has seized on the opportunity to use the EV transition and emissions proposal issues to attack his political rival, stating that he would eliminate Biden’s policies on his first day back in the White House, if reelected.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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