Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule that would require 67% of new passenger vehicles and 46% of new medium-duty trucks and vans be all-electric by 2032. Recent reports indicate that the EPA is considering revising its timeline for the rule. But a delay doesn’t change the fact that the EPA’s proposal would mean, in eight short years, two out of every three new vehicles must be electric — in other words, a de facto ban on new gas-powered vehicles.
This mandate would restrict drivers’ freedom to choose the type of vehicle that best fits their needs. According to a new poll, three out of four American voters oppose government regulations that would ban new gasoline, diesel and hybrid vehicles.
The EPA’s proposal not only ignores consumer choice but also increases our reliance on Chinese supply chains, putting our national security at risk.
It also could impact jobs here in Ohio, as dozens of refinery workers, as well as state and local officials, warned at a recent rally in Toledo. The oil and natural gas industry supports more than 351,000 jobs in Ohio.
What’s more, with innovations in vehicle technology and liquid fuels, cars have been getting cleaner for decades – 99% cleaner than the 1970s for most tailpipe pollutants.
While we share the goal of reducing emissions, the EPA’s flawed proposal could jeopardize American jobs, consumer choice and national security and should be dropped, not delayed.
Claire Linkhart
Columbus
Linkhart is the associate director of American Petroleum Institute Ohio.
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