WASHINGTON — With the White House outlining a voluntary, industry-supported goal for electrifying the nation's vehicle fleet alongside stricter federal emissions targets, it's up to carmakers and states to work out the details.
President Joe Biden's executive order signed last week establishes a nonbinding target for zero- emission vehicles — battery-electrics, plug-in hybrids and fuel cells — to make up half of all new passenger vehicles sold in 2030. It also directs the EPA and NHTSA to work on longer-term fuel economy and emissions standards for vehicles produced after the 2026 model year.
The ZEV goal props up the president's climate and energy ambitions. It also puts the onus back on states to set their own rules on ZEV sales and on automakers to carve out sales and manufacturing strategies so they can meet the more stringent auto pollution standards proposed last week by the EPA and NHTSA.