President Biden's administration plans to roll back tough new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that would have forced U.S. automakers to make electric vehicles their primary business by 2032. That's according to The New York Times, which wrote yesterday that industry players have postponed the administration's need to give them more time to reduce the cost of electric vehicles and are calling for a more comprehensive buildout of a nationwide charging infrastructure.
The Times writes that labor leaders have pressured Biden to give them more time to expand union membership to those working in new U.S. electric vehicle factories. As the article notes, union support is crucial as Biden faces re-election, where he will contend with a dire climate situation and attacks from candidate and former President Donald Trump.
The original EPA requirements called for electric vehicles to account for 67 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales and 46 percent of new medium-duty vehicle sales by 2032 — a huge increase from the 7.6 percent the Times found last year. Sales of electric vehicles have slowed, pushing the goal further out of reach for a variety of reasons. This is in no small part because the automotive industry has insisted on large electric trucks and SUVs that the supply chain is not prepared to provide affordably.