EPA may allow weaker emissions rules, slower EV rollout

The Biden administration may throttle back strict emissions rules in order to give automakers more time to ramp up EV sales, the New York Times reported earlier this week.

Last April, the EPA unveiled proposed tailpipe emissions rules for model years 2027 to 2032. The agency estimated at the time that this would lead to 67% EV sales by 2032, not because EV sales would be mandated, but because automakers would need to sell more EVs to meet emissions targets.

Increased EV sales and lower emissions are still the plan, but the Biden administration is considering tweaks that would “slow the pace at which auto manufacturers would need to comply,” according to the report, citing multiple sources. The goal is reportedly to ramp up EV sales more gradually through the end of the decade, with a sharper increase from 2030 onward.