As Biden Pushes Electric Cars, Most Americans Lack Interest, New Poll Shows

WASHINGTON — President Biden is poised to announce new regulations that will require most new cars sold in America to be electric vehicles, just as new polling shows most Americans aren’t interested in buying them.The Biden administration will propose strict new automobile pollution limits this week that would require at least 54 percent of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2030 and as many as two of every three by 2032, according to industry and environmental officials briefed on the plan.Yet many Americans aren’t yet sold on going electric for their next cars, a new poll shows, with high prices and too few charging stations the main deterrents. The poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago shows that the Biden administration’s plans to dramatically raise EV sales could run into resistance from consumers. Only 8 percent of American adults say they or someone in their household owns or leases an electric vehicle, and just 8 percent say their household has a plug-in hybrid vehicle.Just 19 percent of American adults say it’s “very” or “extremely” likely they would purchase an electric vehicle the next time they buy a car, according to the poll, and 22 percent say it’s somewhat likely. About half — 47 percent — say it’s not likely they would go electric.Six in 10 said the high cost is a major reason they wouldn’t and about a quarter cited it as a minor reason. Even with tax credits of up to $7,500 to buy a new EV, it could be difficult to persuade drivers to ditch their gas-burning cars and trucks for vehicles without tailpipe emissions.The proposed regulation, to be released Wednesday by the Environmental Protection Agency, would set greenhouse gas emissions limits for the 2027 through 2032 model years for passenger vehicles that would be even stricter than goals the auto industry agreed to in 2021.The EPA will offer a range of options that the agency can select after a public comment period, the officials said. They asked not to be identified because the proposal hasn’t been made public. The proposed regulation isn’t expected to become final until next year.Environmental groups are applauding the ambitious numbers, which were first reported over the weekend by the New York Times. Yet the plan is likely to get strong pushback from the auto industry, which pledged in August 2021 to make EVs half of American new car sales by 2030 as it moves toward a history-making transition away from internal combustion engines.Even the low end of the EPA’s 2030 range is 4 percentage points higher than the 2021 goal, which came after strong pressure from Mr. Biden. An executive order he signed set a target for half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 to be zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric or fuel cell electric vehicles.New electric vehicles now cost an average of more than $58,000, according to Kelley Blue Book, a price that’s beyond the reach of many U.S. households. The average vehicle sold in the U.S. costs just under $46,000. Tax credits approved under last year’s Inflation Reduction Act are designed to bring EV prices down and attract more buyers.Yet new rules proposed by the U.S. Treasury Department could result in fewer electric vehicles qualifying for a full $7,500 federal tax credit later.Many vehicles will only be eligible for half the full credit, $3,750, an amount that may not be enough to entice them away from less-costly gasoline-powered vehicles.About three-quarters say too few charging stations is a reason they wouldn’t go electric, including half who call it a major reason. Two-thirds cite a preference for gasoline vehicles as a major or minor reason they won’t go electric.With electric vehicles accounting for just 7.2 percent of American vehicle sales in the first quarter of this year, the industry has a long way to go to even approach the administration’s targets. However, the percentage of EV sales is growing. Last year it was 5.8 percent of new vehicle sales.The EPA declined to offer details ahead of Wednesday’s announcement, but said in a statement that as directed by Mr. Biden’s order, it is “developing new standards that will … accelerate the transition to a zero-emissions transportation future, protecting people and the planet.”

As Biden Pushes Electric Cars, Most Americans Lack Interest, New Poll Shows

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