EPA Proposal on Tailpipe Emissions Promotes Electric Vehicles, Draws Fire From Biofuels Groups

EPA released its draft rule on tailpipe emissions and its drawing fire from biofuels groups. The administration says the proposal is aimed at accelerating growth of electric vehicles (EVs) to fight climate change. The rules set C02 limits for cars, SUVs, pickups and heavy-duty vehicles for model years 2027 to 2032. 

EPA set declining limits on fleet-wide grams of carbon dioxide per mile, which are strict enough to essentially require far more EVs and better efficiency of gas-powered models. 

Geoff Cooper, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, says: "What they've effectively done through those regulations, or through these proposals, is create a de facto mandate for electric vehicles. There's no way automakers are going to be able to meet these standards long term unless they are dramatically increasing their production of electric vehicles. We think this proposal needs to be reconsidered, reevaluated by EPA."

EPA is essentially ignoring the carbon reduction contributions of biofuels, such as ethanol, that are available to scale and at a low cost for consumers, Cooper says.

"They're essentially saying electric vehicles have no carbon impact whatsoever, which we know is nonsense, and they are ignoring all of the upstream emissions impacts related to producing the electricity charging the batteries in these vehicles," he says. "They're also ignoring the impacts of the mining for the rare earth minerals that are crucial materials for the batteries in these vehicles."

EPA estimates the proposal would mean EVs accounting for 60% of light-duty sales by 2030 and 67% in 2032. That’s up from roughly 10% today. EVs would make up 50% of sales of vocational vehicles, such as buses, in 2032. Cooper says Europe has proven pushing to green too fast can be disastrous.