WASHINGTON — Faced with the challenge of meeting the EPA's more stringent limits on vehicle tailpipe emissions, U.S. automakers soon will determine how much — and how quickly — electric vehicles will be part of their compliance strategies.
The EPA, led by Michael Regan, in December finalized a tougher-than-expected rule on vehicle greenhouse gas emissions for the 2023 through 2026 model years that could act as a regulatory driver for speeding up the industry's electrification plans.
Under the final rule, which is more stringent than the agency's August proposal and the Obama-era requirements, emissions standards increase between about 5 and 10 percent each model year. The standards mandate an industrywide target of 161 grams of carbon dioxide per mile — or 40 mpg on window stickers — by the 2026 model year.