The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Wednesday that it has adopted the “strongest-ever pollution standards for cars” which are expected to require as much as 56 percent of new car sales to be comprised of electric vehicles (EVs) by 2032.
In order to meet the EPA’s new standards, an additional 13 percent of new vehicle sales would likely need to be accounted for with plug-in hybrid cars.
This decision from the federal government comes as the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) voted 4-2 to reject the controversial, California-style EV mandate proposed by the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) last year.
[RELATED: Maine BEP Rejects Controversial EV Mandate]
While the rule that has now been rejected by the Maine BEP would have explicitly mandated that a certain percentage of new car sales in the state be comprised of EVs and plug-in hybrids, the EPA’s requirements allow for manufacturers to have somewhat more flexibility.
Instead of specifically prescribing what vehicle technologies must be pursued, the EPA standards are “technology-neutral and performance-based,” meaning that companies can meet the agency’s emissions standards by producing the mix of vehicle types best suited to its needs so long as they adhere to the EPA’s overarching emissions guidelines.
Although the EPA identified the “higher battery electric vehicle pathway” as their “central analysis case,” the agency also provided breakdowns for two other potential ways in which their new emissions standards could potentially be met.
The “moderate hybrid electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle pathway” would see new car sales be comprised of 43 percent electric vehicles, 29 percent plug-in hybrids, and 6 percent hybrid electric vehicles by 2032.
While hybrid vehicles typically use regenerative braking to recharge the battery while a car is in use, plug-in hybrids contain a larger battery that must be charged externally and are typically more expensive up front, according to Kelley Blue Book.
Under the “higher hybrid electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle pathway,” fully electric cars would make up 35 percent of new car sales, while 36 percent of sales would be accounted for by plug-in hybrids and 13 percent by hybrids by 2032.
By comparison, the standards rejected by the Maine BEP earlier this week would have required that 82 percent of new car sales in Maine be comprised of “zero emissions vehicles” — including both EVs and plug-in hybrids — by 2032.
PHEV: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle | BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle
Click Here to See the EPA’s Full Publication on These New Standards
According to the EPA’s press release Wednesday, these new rules are expected to “avoid more than 7 billion tons of carbon emissions and provide nearly $100 billion of annual net benefits to society,” as well as cause “a nearly 50% reduction in projected fleet average [greenhouse gas] emissions levels for light-duty vehicles and 44% reductions for medium duty vehicles.”
“With transportation as the largest source of U.S. climate emissions, these strongest-ever pollution standards for cars solidify America’s leadership in building a clean transportation future and creating good-paying American jobs, all while advancing President Biden’s historic climate agenda,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in Wednesday’s statement.
Click Here to Read the EPA’s Full Press Release
According to a study published by Consumer Reports in November of 2023, EV owners report 79 percent more problems with their vehicles than owners of gas-powered cars, and plug-in hybrid owners report 146 percent more issues. Hybrid vehicles, on the other hand, had 26 percent fewer problems reported compared to traditional internal combustion vehicles.
“This story is really one of growing pains,” Senior Director of Auto Testing at Consumer Reports Jake Fisher told ABC News. “It’s a story of just working out the bugs and the kinks of new technology.”
Nationwide, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles combined made up just 16.3 percent of new car sales in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
