The final version of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Cars rule is the strictest federal climate regulation ever issued for passenger cars and trucks. | Paul Sancya/APThe Biden administration on Wednesday issued one of its most ambitious climate rules, a push that could cause electric cars to make up the majority of U.S. auto sales eight years from now.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan’s official rolled out the rule on Wednesday at a Washington event attended by carmakers, environmentalists and other groups. They also called on Congress to overturn the regulation through the Congressional Review Act, saying lawmakers must “make a decision whether to protect consumer choice, U.S. manufacturing workers and our hard-won energy security by overturning this deeply flawed regulation” and if they don’t, that they are “prepared to challenge it in court.”“This rule is delusional.
Administration officials have stressed that the plan was designed to be technology-neutral, allowing car companies to build a variety of vehicles as long as they meet the standard. “This is a day to celebrate American achievement,” Amanda Leland, executive director of the Environmental Defense Fund, said in a statement. “The step EPA is taking today will slash climate pollution and air pollution. It will bring more jobs for workers, more choices and more savings for consumers, and a healthier future for our children.”
The auto industry has said it agrees with parts of the rule. But the Alliance for Automotive Innovation said “the future is electric,” and that automakers are “committed to the EV transition.”