On August 5, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a national goal of having half of all vehicles sold in the U.S. be emissions-free by 2030. Although not legally binding and fairly ambitious, the goal received support from several automakers such as General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis.
Fast Facts:
- The executive order sets a target for electric vehicles, hydrogen-fuel cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles to make up 50% of U.S. sales by 2030.
- EPA simultaneously proposed new rules that would require auto makers to achieve a fleetwide average fuel-efficiency equivalent of 52 miles per gallon by the 2026 model year.
- Biden pushed for a goal of 500,000 public chargers by 2030, currently there are 110,000 public charging outlets.
- More than $6 billion in grants has been allocated for battery production, development and recycling.
- Biden also called for $174 billion in government spending to boost EVs, including $100 billion in consumer incentives.
Aimed to help the administration address climate change, this goal sets a new schedule for developing new emissions standards through at least 2030 for light duty vehicles. Currently, 32% of all U.S. cars sold in 2030 are expected to be fully electric, with another 4.2% expected to be plug-in hybrids.