Biden's administration to launch a pivotal clean car rule

The Biden administration is poised to introduce regulation aiming to drastically cut emissions from cars and accelerate the shift to electric vehicles.

Jean Chemnick and Mike Lee report for POLITICO.

In short:

• The upcoming regulation from the EPA focuses on reducing emissions from passenger cars, the primary source of U.S. carbon emissions.
• By 2032, the rule expects electric vehicles to constitute about two-thirds of new car sales.
• The regulation is part of broader efforts, including incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act, to support the transition to electric vehicles.

Key quote:

"So let’s be clear that it’s a very, very modest change in carbon pollution."

— Manish Bapna, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund

Why this matters:

Reducing car emissions also means fewer pollutants like nitrogen oxides and particulates in the air. This leads to cleaner air, which has immediate health benefits for the population, reducing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

The “original sin” of air quality regulations is keeping communities polluted. But that’s changing.