The Biden administration on Wednesday announced the strictest-ever rules on pollution from cars and trucks. The directives are a major step in reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions – and provide a major boost for electric vehicles.
While the new EPA rules are based on reducing pollution – including carbon dioxide – it represents a dramatic step in phasing out the use of combustion engines in favor of electric vehicles.
“New York State DEC applauds today’s announcement from the Biden Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for stricter vehicle emissions regulations that will foster the transition from fossil fuels towards widespread electric vehicle use,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “New York’s recent EV adoption and emissions regulations – along with other actions to implement the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act – are helping our state move to a cleaner, greener, and healthier future, particularly for New Yorkers in disadvantaged communities that disproportionately experience the negative impacts of transportation-related emissions. EPA’s proposal is a critical step in national leadership to address climate change and advance environmental justice.”
The Biden Administration said they would avoid nearly 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions across the U-S – the equivalent of more than twice the nation s total C-O-2 emissions last year. Depending on automakers’ compliance, the E-P-A projects nearly 70 percent of new, light-duty vehicle sales, and almost half of new, medium-duty vehicle sales could be electric vehicles by 2032.
