Ford, Chrysler and General Motors seem to have agreed with him, having announced a goal of having 40 to 50 percent of their new vehicle sales by 2030 be electric. This would be a huge step for the electrification of transport, with EV sales in the US currently hovering at around 2-3 percent of the total car market.
Biden has boosted electric vehicles (EV) at every opportunity, driving around a racetrack in the electric F-150 Lightning and promising to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations. Encouraging American-made EV sales allows the president to tackle multiple objectives at once: fighting climate change, creating “good-paying, union jobs,” and outcompeting China.
While this new goal sounds ambitious, some climate experts have been quick to point out loop-holes in the regulations, as well as the fact that some of the proposed budget for this plan has already been taken off the table. The bipartisan infrastructure deal, agreed to last week by a group of Democratic and Republican senators, includes only $15 billion total for electric cars and buses, jeopardizing Biden’s promise of a U.S. EV market that could rival China and Europe.
Pew Research said in June that while just 7% of American adults own electrics or hybrids now, 72% of those polled said they were very (43%) or somewhat (29%) likely to consider one the next time they buy a vehicle. And 47% said they support proposals to phase out gasoline and diesel fuel.
According to a Rhodium Group report, sales of electric vehicles are slated to reach 27 to 39 percent by 2031, even without any new federal policy. Some states, including California and Massachusetts, have vowed to end the sales of gas-powered vehicles entirely by 2035.
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