Auto Industry Advocate Presses EPA on Emissions

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation urged the Environmental Protection Agency to slow its emissions regulations in order for the U.S. to best compete with China when it comes to cars.

In a blog post, the industry advocacy group said that for the U.S. to speed its transition to electrification and stop China from controlling global supply chains that are key to that transition, the U.S. must slow its electric-vehicle ttime line over the next few years.

If not, it predicts “China gains a stronger foothold in America’s EV battery supply chain and eventually our automotive market.”

The post says that the EPA’s proposed requirement for 37% of new light-duty vehicles be battery-electric models by 2027, 60% by 2030, is too fast a time line, since it says BEVs last year made up not quite 6% of new-vehicle sales.

Though electrification is the alliance’s goal, too, it said the proposed time line should be more gradual. 

The alliance said inadequate charging infrastructure and electric grid capacity and so far limited domestic or allied supply of EV battery materials hampers the U.S. in competing with China

“That’s what should be keeping policymakers up at night,” the post says.

The U.S. would have to depend on China or its Chinese-backed mining companies to meet the current EPA time line, the alliance says. Meanwhile, China could secure global supply chains and move into other global auto markets.

“Alarmist? I don’t think so,” says the post, written by John Bozzella.

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