• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • The Rearview Mirror: Ford’s High-End Failure
  • Ram Returning to Midsize Pickup Segment; Shows Dealers a Concept EV
  • Why Isn’t That EV Charger Working?
  • Ford Will Trust The Truck — The New One Built at BlueOval City
  • Cupra Could Be Headed to the U.S.
  • March New Vehicle Sales to Rise 6.2% Over Last Year
  • Hyundai, Kia Recall Warns Owners of 570K Vehicles to Park Outside
  • Ford Facing $3 Billion in Losses on EV Business for 2023
  • Higher Interest Rates, Bank Failures Pose Challenge to Car Business
  • General Motors to Face Class Action Lawsuit
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Infiniti QX80
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis GV80 Prestige 3.5 Turbo
    • First Drive: 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T
    • First Drive: 2023 Dodge Hornet GT
    • First Drive: 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70
    • First Drive: 2023 Nissan Ariya e-4orce AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Jeep Compass Limited
    • A Week With: 2023 Cadillac Escalade V-Series
    • A Week With: 2023 Volvo XC40 AWD Ultimate
    • First Drive: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Regulatory > Biden Signs Executive Order Targeting 50% EVs by 2030

        Biden Signs Executive Order Targeting 50% EVs by 2030

        President also reverses Trump administration’s rollback of emissions and mileage standards.

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        Aug. 05, 2021

        President Joe Biden signed an executive order Thursday afternoon aimed at beginning the phaseout of cars and trucks running on gas and diesel, with battery-electric vehicles now expected to make up at least 50% of new model sales by 2030.

        Biden at Signing Ceremony
        Bernie Ricke, president of UAW Local 600, which builds the Ford F-150 Lightning introduced President Biden at the announcement.

        The president also confirmed that the administration is reversing a “shortsighted” move by his predecessor that saw a sharp rollback in federal fuel economy standards. Both moves won widespread praise — and promises from key automakers they will live up to the targets the Biden White House has set. But some environmentalists questioned whether the administration is moving far and fast enough.

        The future, said Biden, speaking from the White House lawn, “is electric, and there’s no turning back. The question is whether we’ll lead,” he said, warning that, “Right now, China is leading the race.”

        Currently, that Asian powerhouse has 93 plants building the sort of batteries needed to power battery-based vehicles, compared to just four in the United States, according to a study by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. In recent months, a number of automakers, including General Motors, Ford and Stellantis — as well as independent suppliers — have announced plans to build lithium-ion battery plants in the U.S., but the numbers so far announced still leave this country way behind in terms of production capacity.

        Biden Driving F-150 Lightning
        "This sucker's quick," said President Joe Biden after driving the Lightning during a visit to Detroit in May.

        U.S. playing catch up

        The U.S. has also lagged both China and Europe in terms of production of plug-based models, in part due to the tougher mandates already announced in those parts of the world. The European Union, in particular, recently laid out a proposal that would phase out sale of new vehicles using internal combustion engines entirely by 2035.

        The White House has faced heavy pressure since Biden was inaugurated in January to follow suit. And even with a 50% target for 2030, the president came under criticism from some environmentalists.

        “Today’s proposal relies on unenforceable voluntary commitments from unreliable car makers,” wrote Dan Becker, director of the, Safe Climate Transport Campaign of the Center for Biological Diversity, in astatement. Describing the Biden plan as “loophole-ridden,” Becker said “strong rules” are the only way to get automakers to cut emissions.

        But Thursday’s executive order received far more positive reviews from most of the auto industry, starting with the Detroit Big Three, whose senior executives were on hand for the signing.

        Though much of the news lately has been about EVs, CEO Mary Barra needs profitable trucks coming from Mexico as well.

        “Today, Ford, GM and Stellantis announce their shared aspiration to achieve sales of 40-50% of annual U.S. volumes of electric vehicles (battery electric, fuel cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles) by 2030 in order to move the nation closer to a zero-emissions future consistent with Paris climate goals,” the three automakers said in a statement released ahead of the White House event.

        Manufacturers offer mixed reviews

        Though not invited for the signing, a number of foreign manufacturers also weighed in.

        “Today, Nissan North America Inc. has a target that more than 40% of its U.S. vehicle sales by 2030 will be fully electric, with even more to be electrified,” the second-largest Japanese automaker said. Its rival Honda said it “supports” the president’s goals, including the toughened fuel economy standards that will phase in during the coming years.

        Several manufacturers sniped at Biden, however. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, the best-selling EV manufacturer in the U.S., was notably absent from the Thursday ceremony. “Seems odd that Tesla wasn’t invited.”

        Musk no invite from White House tweet
        Elon Musk reportedly wasn't invited to the event because the company doesn't have a union.

        Meanwhile, Rivian, another U.S.-based EV startup, questioned whether the administration was going far enough. “This draft proposal would drive us in the right direction after several years in reverse,” said Chris Nevers, Rivian’s senior director of environmental policy, “but slowly getting back on track is not enough.”

        Previous administrations’ plans

        As Vice President, Biden helped in the push for a sharp increase in mileage standards during the Obama administration. Fuel economy was expected to grow by about 5% annually, reaching more than 50 miles per gallon. Since fuel consumption is directly linked to the production of carbon emissions, that would have led to a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

        When he was in office, President Donald Trump sharply criticized the Obama-era Corporate Average Fuel Economy. The cuts his administration announced in early 2020 actually went beyond what most automakers sought, in fact, with a target of 1.5% in mileage increases annually.

        Farley said he isn't changing the plan set forth by Hackett, only accelerating it.

        In recent weeks, there had been news reports, based on supposed “leaks,” indicating Biden would approve a compromise 3.7% annual increase in fuel economy. The final revision of CAFE will see a 25% improvement over the four years ending in 2026.

        The industry, at least for now, appears to be fully backing Biden — though, after supporting the Obama fuel economy mandate, automakers including General Motors and Toyota later called for a partial rollback.

        What will happen now depends on a variety of factors, especially in terms of the aggressive EV mandates the president has targeted.

        EV target is extremely aggressive

        Right now, pure battery-electric vehicles account for only about 2.2% of new vehicle sales in the U.S., according to industry data. Adding in hybrids and plug-in hybrids brings that up to around 6 percent. But the trendline is moving upward at an aggressive pace. During the first six months of this year, sales of PHEVs and pure BEVs doubled compared to the year before.

        VW ID4 - first US delivery
        Dealer inventories are already low, if the unionized car haulers reject this deal and decide to strike, it would make sales even more difficult.

        There had been a growing consensus in industry circles demand for plug-based models would reach around 30% by decade’s end. Going to 50% will be difficult, numerous analysts said this week. And Biden acknowledged the challenge during his brief address on Thursday.

        He pointed to his Build Back Better infrastructure bill working through Congress as critical to that goal, as well as legislation that would both extend and expand the current federal EV incentives of up to $7,500. A bill cosponsored by Michigan Representative Debbie Dingell would bring the number up to $10,000 for American-made EVs, adding yet another $2,500 for those produced with union labor.

        Biden also highlighted other goals of the administration, including the creation of 500,000 EV chargers nationwide — something researchers at J.D. Power, IHS Markit and others have called essential to widespread acceptance of battery power. Additional money will be made available for battery and EV manufacturers, as well as researchers working on the next-generation batteries intended to boost range, cut charging times and lower costs.

        The industry, meanwhile, is taking another critical step. Where only a handful of long-range EVs were available at the start of the decade, as many as 100 or more are expected to be available in U.S. showrooms by mid-decade.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published

        The Rearview Mirror: Ford’s High-End Failure

        Yesterday
        Ram 1500 Revolution Battery-electric Vehicle (BEV) Concept grill

        Ram Returning to Midsize Pickup Segment; Shows Dealers a Concept EV

        March 24, 2023
        Blink Charging station user

        Why Isn’t That EV Charger Working?

        March 24, 2023

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: