Tesla Urges EPA to Tighten US Emissions Targets

Image: Tesla

Tesla is urging the EPA to tighten US emissions targets and accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. The company believes the agency is content with modest change, at a time when it can get more environmentally friendly vehicles on the roads.

Tesla is urging the US government to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. The manufacturer wants the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set significantly stricter emission reduction requirements for new vehicles than proposed in April.

Back then, the EPA proposed new standards for the period from 2027 to 2032. It was intended to cut emissions by 56 percent. The agency estimated that by 2030, 60 percent of new cars will be electric, and 67 percent by 2032. In fact, the EPA project goes beyond the Biden administration's goal of having 50 percent of sales come from electric vehicles by 2030.

The EPA does not set annual sales quotas, but it can limit the pollution generated by the total number of vehicles sold by a manufacturer. The agency can set this limit in such a way that it can only be reached with a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles.

In a recent statement, Tesla is calling for a more stringent plan. The company wants to see more than 69 percent of electric vehicles by 2032. According to the company, the complete elimination of internal combustion engines for new cars in the US is quite realistic by 2030. According to Reuters, Tesla says the EPA's “cost assumptions are far too high and are not supported by the record, in that they do not fully consider the documented and projected rapid decline in battery cell and pack costs, as well the significant BEV (battery electric vehicles) range increases achieved through other efficiencies.” The manufacturer would also like to see credits for cars with internal combustion engines abolished.

To support its position, Tesla uses internal valuation. According to it, 28 percent of car sales will be zero-emission models in 2026. The company has criticized EPA estimates that Tesla vehicle sales are estimated at less than 100,000 vehicles a year. In fact, its 2022 US sales are already close to 500,000 vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which includes automakers such as GM, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai Motors, and others, is calling for a softening of the EPA proposal. It states that it is not achievable. Instead, the Alliance recommends 40 to 50 percent electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids by 2030.

© 2023, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.

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