One of President Donald Trump’s promises upon taking office was to revamp vehicle emissions regulations established by the previous administration. That is now officially underway in what the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling the “biggest deregulatory action in US history.”
You can peruse all 26 press releases published yesterday by the EPA regarding proposed changes to air quality standards, groundwater pollution, and more. For our purposes, we’ll focus on just one—the action to eliminate the “Biden-Harris Electric Vehicle Mandate.”
Finalized in March 2024, the rule called for significant reductions in carbon emissions beginning in 2027. Starting first with light-duty vehicles, the reductions would extend to medium-duty commercial vehicles by 2032 and cut emissions by upwards of 50 percent. At the same time, emphasis would be placed on electric vehicle development and expanding the charging infrastructure. The plan had EVs accounting for 50 percent of new car sales by 2030.
The final rule was ultimately a bit watered down than what the Biden administration had previously proposed. Softer EV demand and high production costs had automakers questioning whether these goals could be achieved. Proponents for the rule said it would spur US development of critical technology for the future, a race that’s currently being dominated by China. Those opposed claimed it would hurt automakers and make pretty much everything in life more expensive.
That’s now the official stance from Trump’s EPA, headed by Administrator Lee Zeldin.
“The American auto industry has been hamstrung by the crushing regulatory regime of the last administration,” Zeldin said in a statement. “As we reconsider nearly one trillion dollars of regulatory costs, we will abide by the rule of law to protect consumer choice and the environment.”
So, what exactly will change? The EPA doesn’t have any information on that yet. The agency’s official announcement doesn’t go any further than attacking the previous administration for inflicting undue costs and saying the rule will be reconsidered.
Ironically, the announcement comes just one day after President Trump heaped praise on Elon Musk and Tesla in a presentation at the White House, promising to buy a Tesla “as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American,” he said in a post on Truth Social. It’s a sharp contrast to his largely anti-EV position, which recently saw the dismantling of charging locations at hundreds of federal locations. Presumably, he left one at the White House so he can charge his new Tesla.
It’s worth noting that the EPA’s announcement isn’t something that can be immediately implemented. The rule will be reconsidered, meaning that several steps have to happen before a final decision comes down. But the wheels are turning, and with the EPA now undergoing its most radical change in its 55-year history, there will likely be more to come on all this.
Source:
US Environmental Protection Agency