Over 130 Republican legislators penned a letter to the White House urging President Joe Biden to retract proposed rules regarding tailpipe emissions. This action coincides with the Biden administration’s push for a shift towards electric vehicles. Spearheaded by Iowa Representative Randy Feenstra and Idaho Representative Mike Crapo, the Republicans contend that the regulations put forth by the Environmental Protection Agency essentially impose an electric vehicle requirement and signal the gradual elimination of conventional combustion engines.
Allegedly, the Biden administration has paused the implementation of updated tailpipe emissions standards as the presidential election nears. Additionally, mandates for car manufacturers to swiftly boost electric vehicle sales have been postponed, with targets now extended beyond 2030. Influenced by pressure from affluent donors and philanthropic organizations associated with the Rockefellers, Biden has also put a halt to the approval process for liquid gas exports.
Electric vehicle retailers are compelled to slash prices as companies like Ford grapple with substantial losses stemming from tepid demand for electric vehicles. Ford’s Model-e EV segment incurred a $4.7 billion deficit in 2023 and is forecasted to face another $5.5 billion loss in 2024. Car dealers have reached out to the White House on two occasions, emphasizing the limited demand for electric vehicles and imploring the Biden administration to adopt a more pragmatic strategy.
According to the White House’s plan for tailpipe regulations, by 2032, electric vehicles would need to comprise 67% of new purchases of sedan, crossover, SUV, and light truck vehicles. Additionally, up to 50% of new buses and garbage trucks, 35% of short-haul freight tractors, and 25% of long-haul freight tractors should be electric by that time. The White House contends that this stringent proposal would accelerate the shift to “clean” vehicles and decrease oil imports by a billion barrels.
Republicans, joined by certain Democrats and energy industry associations, have expressed reservations regarding the proposal’s potential effects on vehicle affordability, the limitation of consumer options, and the extent to which the regulations might favor China. China presently manufactures 75% of all lithium-ion batteries and holds a dominant position in the production capacity for cathodes and anodes, which are essential components of these batteries.
Crapo, Feenstra, and fellow Republicans expressed worries about the affordability of electric vehicles for numerous consumers and the potential for the regulations to increase U.S. reliance on China. They conveyed in their correspondence with the White House that a majority of Americans still favor internal combustion engines.
