In a significant effort to combat climate change, the Biden administration has unveiled its most ambitious plan yet to reduce planet-warming emissions from passenger vehicles. The new automobile emissions standards, announced on Wednesday, aim to set stricter limits on tailpipe emissions over the next decade.

While the initial tailpipe limits proposed last year have been relaxed, the administration's target aligns closely with the stringent standards laid out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These rules have come at a time when the sales growth of electric vehicles (EVs), crucial to meeting the standards, has started to slow down.

Last April, the EPA introduced preferred standards as part of its comprehensive plan to lower planet-warming emissions from passenger vehicles. However, the auto industry expressed concerns about slower sales growth and objected to the proposed regulations. Addressing these concerns, the EPA's final rule suggests that the industry can meet the set limits if 56% of new vehicle sales are electric by 2032, along with at least 13% plug-in hybrids or other partially electric cars, as well as more fuel-efficient gasoline-powered vehicles.

This proposal marks a significant increase compared to current EV sales, which accounted for 7.6% of new vehicle sales in 2021, up from 5.8% in 2022. By implementing these new standards, an estimated 7 billion tons of carbon emissions will be avoided over the next three decades. Additionally, the EPA projects annual net benefits of nearly $100 billion, including reduced healthcare costs, fewer deaths, and over $60 billion in decreased annual expenses on fuel, maintenance, and repairs.

President Joe Biden, who has prioritized combating climate change during his presidency, commended the "historic progress" made toward his goal of having half of all new cars and trucks sold in the United States be zero-emission vehicles by 2030. He emphasized that this plan is just the starting point and that even more progress will be made in the years to come.

The EPA's new rule, applicable to model years 2027 to 2032, will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, from newly manufactured passenger cars, light trucks, and pickups. Transportation, which accounts for the largest share of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, will greatly benefit from these regulations, with cars and trucks comprising more than half of these emissions.

The administration believes that these new standards will not only address the climate crisis but also accelerate the adoption of cleaner vehicle technologies. This comes as sales of clean vehicles, including plug-in hybrids and fully electric cars, reached record highs last year.

With this bold and comprehensive plan, the Biden administration is taking decisive action to foster a greener, more sustainable future by reducing emissions and mitigating the harmful effects of climate change caused by the transportation sector.