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Apr 29, 2023

EPA announces the “most ambitious pollution standards ever” for cleaner cars and trucks

Wednesday morning, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new

Wednesday morning, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new proposed federal vehicle emissions standards that will accelerate the ongoing transition to a clean vehicles future and tackle the climate crisis.

The proposed standards would improve air quality for communities across the nation, especially communities that have borne the burden of polluted air.

Together, these proposals would avoid nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to more than twice the total U.S. CO2 emissions in 2022, while saving thousands of dollars over the lives of the vehicles meeting these new standards and reduce America's reliance on approximately 20 billion barrels of oil imports.

"By proposing the most ambitious pollution standards ever for cars and trucks, we are delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration's promise to protect people and the planet, securing critical reductions in dangerous air and climate pollution and ensuring significant economic benefits like lower fuel and maintenance costs for families," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.

"These ambitious standards are readily achievable thanks to President Biden's Investing in America agenda, which is already driving historic progress to build more American-made electric cars and secure America's global competitiveness."

Since President Biden took office, the number of EV sales has tripled while the number of available models has doubled. There are more than 130,000 public chargers across the country – a 40% increase over 2020. The private sector has also committed more than $120 billion in domestic EV and battery investments since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law.

The new standards proposed Wednesday reflect the advancements and investments in clean vehicle manufacturing, which have been accelerated by President Biden's Investing in America agenda and complement the ongoing transition in the market toward cleaner vehicles.

The new proposed emissions standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles for model year (MY) 2027 and beyond would significantly reduce climate and other harmful air pollution, unlocking significant benefits for public health, especially in communities that have borne the greatest burden of poor air quality. At the same time, the proposed standards would lower maintenance costs and deliver significant fuel savings for drivers and truck operators.

The proposed standards align with commitments made by automakers and U.S. states as they plan to accelerate clean vehicle technologies in the light- and medium-duty fleets in the next 10 to 15 years.

Through 2055, EPA projects that the proposed standards would avoid nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions (equivalent to more than twice the total U.S. CO2 emissions in 2022). The proposed standards would reduce other harmful air pollution and lead to fewer premature deaths and serious health effects, such as hospital admissions due to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.

By accelerating adoption of technologies that reduce fuel and maintenance costs alongside pollution, the proposed standards would save the average consumer $12,000 over the lifetime of a light-duty vehicle, as compared to a vehicle that was not subject to the new standards.

Together, the proposals would reduce oil imports by approximately 20 billion barrels.

Overall, EPA estimates that the benefits of the proposed standards would exceed costs by at least $1 trillion.

The first set of proposed standards, the "Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium Duty Vehicles," builds on EPA's existing emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks for model years 2023 through 2026.

Between 2027 and 2055, the total projected net benefits of the light- and medium-duty proposal range from $850 billion to $1.6 trillion. The proposal is expected to avoid 7.3 billion tons of CO2 emissions through 2055, equivalent to eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions from the entire current U.S. transportation sector for four years and would also deliver significant health benefits by reducing fine particulate matter that can cause premature death, heart attacks, respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, aggravated asthma, and decreased lung function.

The proposed standards are also projected to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. Depending on the compliance pathways manufacturers select to meet the standards, EPA projects that EVs could account for 67% of new light-duty vehicle sales and 46% of new medium-duty vehicle sales in model year 2032.

The proposed 2032 light-duty standards are projected to result in a 56% reduction in projected fleet average greenhouse gas emissions target levels compared to the existing 2026 standards.

The proposed 2032 medium-duty vehicle standards would result in a 44% reduction compared to 2026 standards.

The second set of proposed standards, the "Greenhouse Gas Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles - Phase 3," would apply to heavy-duty vocational vehicles (such as delivery trucks, refuse haulers or dump trucks, public utility trucks, transit, shuttle, school buses) and trucks typically used to haul freight.

These standards would complement the criteria pollutant standards for model year 2027 and beyond heavy-duty vehicles that EPA finalized in December 2022 and represent the third phase of EPA's Clean Trucks Plan.

Like the light- and medium-duty proposal, the heavy-duty proposal uses performance-based standards that enable manufacturers to achieve compliance efficiently based on the composition of their fleets.

The projected net benefits of the heavy-duty proposal range from $180 billion to $320 billion. The proposal is projected to avoid 1.8 billion tons of CO2 through 2055, equivalent to eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions from the entire current U.S. transportation sector for an entire year and deliver additional health benefits by reducing other pollutants from these vehicles.

The standards would result in improved air quality nationwide, and those who live near major roadways and are disproportionately exposed to vehicle pollution and heavy-duty activity, which often includes low-income populations and communities of color, would benefit most directly.