This recalibration of policy emerges as Biden encounters escalating political pressures amid his campaign for re-election, as revealed by sources familiar with the situation to The New York Times. Two other sources confirmed the policy shift to CNN. Originally, the aim of the emissions caps was to encourage a transition from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric ones, intending to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions. However, in a notable shift, the Biden administration is now affording automakers additional time to increase electric vehicle (EV) sales, a requirement that has been deferred to beyond 2030, according to reports by the Times. This adjustment is a softening of the administration's earlier policy that sought to expedite the adoption of EVs within a shorter timeframe. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled proposed regulations that would mandate a minimum of 67 percent of new car and light-duty truck sales to be fully electric by 2032. “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,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said at the time. “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.” This marks a sizable shift, given that in 2023 the EV share of the market was just 7.6 percent. While the specifics of the final regulation remain under wraps, certain officials within the Biden administration maintain that the adjusted policies are still in alignment with the President's goal to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. “I feel very good about how our policies, including the regulatory actions, are fitting together to boost our ability to hit our 2030 targets and setting us up for the longer term trajectory,” Ali Zaidi, Mr. Biden’s senior climate adviser, told the Times. “We are harnessing the power of smart investments and standards to ensure U.S. workers will lead, not follow, the global auto sector,” Zaidi said in a statement to CNN. “President Biden’s been consistent in moving us forward, accelerating U.S. leadership on this critical technology for our economy and environment.”In a reversal from his previously outlined ambitious climate goals, President Joe Biden is taking a more measured approach to implementing a rule aimed at curbing tailpipe emissions.
