Advanced Energy United News

Washington Examiner: Biden Has Automakers on Board With Electric Vehicle Goals, But Will Need Buyers

Written by Josh Siegel | Aug 5, 2021

Washington Examiner detailed the Biden administration's EV sales goals, quoting AEE's Ryan Gallentine on the voluntary targets. Read snippets below and the full story here.

President Joe Biden’s new target for 50% electric vehicle sales follows the direction automakers were already going on their own, but it will likely push them farther and faster.

Indeed, the Big 3 U.S. automakers are flanking Biden during a White House event where he will announce the new target and unveil stricter standards for fuel-efficiency and tailpipe emissions for cars and light trucks. Ford, GM and Stellantis in a joint statement this morning said they too share an aspiration to achieve sales of 40-50% of EVs (defined as battery electric, fuel cell and plug-in hybrids), but they are giving themselves more leeway.

“The voluntary targets and proposed mileage and emissions standards set for the next few years should be looked at as the bare minimum that auto companies are expected to achieve in the short run,” Ryan Gallentine, director of transportation at Advanced Energy Economy, told me, noting many of the major automakers have a track record of doing the bare minimum, or worse.

The big question: Even if a 50% target pushes the boundaries of automakers’ comfort zone, consumers still need to buy them to achieve the goal.

Read the full story here.