Joe Biden aims to make half of new vehicles electric by 2030.
US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order calling for half of the new vehicles sold in the country to be zero-emissions by 2030.
“The US must lead the world on clean and efficient cars and trucks. That means bolstering our domestic market by setting the goal that 50 percent of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in 2030 will be battery-electric including Be it zero-emissions vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles,” the executive order signed on Thursday said.
The executive order also sets out a program to develop long-term fuel efficiency and emissions standards during former President Donald Trump’s administration, reports Xinhua news agency.
Executives from auto companies including Ford, General Motors and Stelantis as well as lawmakers and members of the United Auto Workers joined Biden at the White House on Thursday afternoon.
“The question is whether we will lead or be left behind in the race of the future,” the president said before signing the order.
“Right now, China is at the forefront of the race as one of the largest and fastest growing electric vehicle markets in the world.”
USA Today said Biden has made electric vehicles a major priority in his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, which the Senate is taking up this week.
The proposal includes $7.5 billion in electric vehicle charging stations and $7.5 billion for electric buses.
The report said it would allocate $6 billion to battery supply chain and battery-pack manufacturing and help factories expand capacity to produce electric vehicles.
The US is the world’s third largest market for electric vehicles.
According to IHS Markit, total new car sales in 2020 declined 23 percent to about 14.6 million units, while all-electric vehicle sales fell 11 percent to 295,000 units.
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