Joe Biden has dealt another body blow to America’s gas car manufacturers after his stuttering roll-out of EV charging points was slammed as ‘pathetic’.
The Transportation Department told automakers they have eight years to squeeze another 16 miles per gallon out of their cars if they want to stay in business – while the fuel efficiency of their trucks will have to double.
Friday’s edict came just weeks after the EPA slashed the limits on tailpipe emissions as part of the White House pledge to ensure that more than half of all new vehicles sold are electric by 2032.
But the administration admitted last week that just seven EV charging stations have been built since a $5-billion program was signed off in 2021.
‘That’s just pathetic,’ Sen Jeff Merkley (D-Ore) told a Senate hearing on Wednesday. ‘Something is terribly wrong and it needs to be fixed.’
President Joe Biden has demanded that 56 percent of all new vehicles sold are EV by 2032
But electric vehicles accounted for just 7.6 percent of new car sales last year amid continuing concern over range, cost and reliability
The latest rules impose average miles per gallon limits across manufacturers’ entire product lines, so if they make more electric vehicles they will find it easier to meet the targets.
Their passenger cars will have to average 65 miles per gallon by 2031, up from 48.7 miles today.
Pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles will have to average 45 miles rather than the 35.1 miles today.
But heavy-duty pickup trucks and large vans will have to nearly double their fuel efficiency from 18.8 to 35 miles per gallon.
The tough new regulations are designed to save nearly eight billion tons of carbon emissions by the middle of the century and have been welcomed by environmentalists and health campaigners.
‘Today’s final rule is another important step toward reducing carbon pollution and curbing climate change,’ said Harold Wimmer of the American Lung Association.
But 25 Red states have filed a lawsuit challenging the new tailpipe rules they fear will destroy jobs.
‘The Biden Administration is willing to sacrifice the American auto industry and its workers in service of its radical green agenda,’ said Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman.
‘We just aren’t buying it. Demand for EVs continues to fall, and even those who want to buy one can’t afford it amid historic inflation.’
Tesla’s Cybertruck was released earlier this year but was plagued with issues. In April all models were recalled over a defect that caused their accelerator pedals to jam
Take-up of electric cars has stalled in many parts of America – with just 3 percent of new sales an EV in some states
Electric vehicles accounted for just 7.6 percent of new car sales last year and the market has been faltering in recent months as EVs remain around $6,000 more expensive than a similar gas-powered car.
The average model fell in price by nine percent last year but still cost a median $55,252 in April, according industry bible Kelley Blue Book.
In some states EVs account for as little as 3 percent of new car sales, and a survey last month revealed that owners drive them 20 percent less than gas-run cars amid fears that a lack of charging points may leave their drivers stranded.
Biden’s $1 trillion Inflation Reduction Act introduced target to have 500,000 charging points across the US by 2030 but fewer than 183,000 were operational by the start of this year.
‘Range anxiety and charging infrastructure are top-of-mind for EV drivers, and those factors likely limit how far owners will drive them,’ said Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst.
And the technology’s teething troubles mean that drivers encounter 79 percent more problems than those with combustion engines, according to a Consumer Reports survey in April of more than 330,000 car owners.
The research said EV owners most frequently reported troubles with battery and charging systems as well as flaws in body panels and the fit of interior parts.
The battle over electric vehicles looks set to move center stage ahead of November’s presidential election with Donald Trump dismissing Biden’s targets as the ‘green new scam’.
The Republican has promised to reverse Biden’s climate policies, including federal support for electric vehicles.
‘We want to get rid of the electric mandate for the cars,’ he told an Arizona rally on Thursday.
‘If you want to buy a different kind of car, you’re going to, you have to have a choice.’
Drivers have four main demands for EV manufacturers according to a survey by market analysts Edmunds in April – lower prices, higher ranges, a better choice of models, and more offerings from trusted brands.
Donald Trump has dismissed the White House’s push for EVs as the ‘green new scam’ and pledged to slash federal funding if elected in November. ‘We want to get rid of the electric mandate for the cars,’ he told an Arizona rally on Thursday.
Classic gas-engine cars such as this Mustang will remain on America’s roads for the foreseeable future but makers are under growing pressure to switch production to EVs
‘The electric vehicle market is growing, but consumers have enough reservations about the current options and charging infrastructure challenges to limit more significant growth in the short term,’ said analyst Jessica Caldwell.
Transport secretary Pete Buttigieg defended the new emissions standards.
‘Not only will these new standards save Americans money at the pump every time they fill up, they will also decrease harmful pollution and make America less reliant on foreign oil,’ he said in a statement.
‘These standards will save car owners more than $600 in gasoline costs over the lifetime of their vehicle.’
