"Pedal to the Metal” – Reports Say EPA Clean Air Standards for New Cars Are Imminent

(Washington, D.C. – March 15, 2024) News reports say the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will soon unveil its final clean car standards – limits on climate and health-harming pollution from new passenger cars and trucks and medium-duty vehicles like delivery vans in model years 2027 through 2032.

“EPA’s clean car standards will put the pedal to the metal as the U.S. races to achieve cleaner, healthier air for everyone,” said Amanda Leland, Executive Director of Environmental Defense Fund. “Tailpipes release dangerous particle pollution, smog-forming nitrogen oxides and are one of the largest sources of climate pollution in the nation. Strong clean car standards help provide cleaner air and a safer climate, thousands of dollars in cost savings for our families, and hundreds of thousands of new jobs in U.S. manufacturing.

“Robust clean car standards will accelerate the job creation and manufacturing renaissance that are now underway as our country embraces cleaner cars. Manufacturers across the U.S. have invested $188 billion in electric vehicle and battery manufacturing – most since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. Pollution-free cars, trucks and SUVs are on our roads right now and are saving their owners thousands of dollars on fuel and maintenance costs. EPA’s clean car standards will make it easier for every American to drive a clean car if they want to – and that will mean healthier air and a safer climate for all.”

Environmental Defense Fund has recently released a series of analyses and fact sheets about electric vehicle investments, sales, job growth, and EPA’s imminent vehicle pollution standards:

• FACTS about U.S. electric vehicles: Putting the Pedal to the Metal
• U.S. Electric Vehicle Investments Have Grown to $188 Billion, Almost 200,000 Jobs – New Report
• U.S. Is World Leader in Recent Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Investments
• New Analysis: EPA Clean Vehicle Standards Will Save Thousands of Lives, Protect Health, Slash Air Pollution
• Analysis Finds U.S. Electric Vehicle Battery Manufacturing on Track to Meet Demand
• U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales are Going Further, Faster than Many Experts Forecast