EPA tailpipe emissions rulemaking requires more incremental emissions reductions; nominal reductions still require automakers to rapidly increase ZEV sales, putting the government’s thumb on the scale for EVs
DIAMOND BAR, CA – March 21, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – After advocacy from small businesses across the country that represent the specialty automotive aftermarket and other key stakeholders, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is delaying its most aggressive tailpipe emissions reduction requirements from model year 2027 to model year 2030. The EPA’s final rule also slightly increased the average tailpipe emissions for light-duty vehicles, increasing the standard to 85 grams/mile from 82 grams/mile for model year 2032.
While the agency’s final rulemaking provides automakers with additional time to ramp up production of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs), currently, only electric vehicles (EVs) and five plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) meet the easier 85 grams/mile standard. It is estimated that 67% of new vehicles sold would have to be EVs by 2032 to meet this standard. Automakers could also comply with the final rule if EVs account for 56% of new vehicle sales and PHEVs comprise 13% of model year 2032 sales. The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) opposes the EPA’s final standards for model year 2027 to 2032 light and medium-duty vehicles, which ultimately still forces automakers to sell EVs and PHEVs to comply with this rulemaking and further limits internal combustion engine technology options.
The EPA’s final rulemaking embraces “Alternative 3” from the agency’s April 2023 proposed rulemaking. The chart below outlines the emissions reductions in the final rulemaking vs. those outlined in the agency’s initial preferred proposal:
EPA Proposed Rulemaking |
EPA Adopted Rule |
| 2027: Required automakers to reduce fleetwide emissions by 18% vs. 2026 |
2027: Requires automakers to reduce fleetwide emissions by 9% vs. 2026 |
| 2029: Reduce fleetwide emissions by 40% vs. 2026 | 2029: Reduce fleetwide emissions by 27% vs. 2026 |
| 2032: Reduce fleetwide emissions by nearly 56% vs. 2026 | 2032: Reduce fleetwide emissions by 50% vs. 2026 |
In response to the EPA’s final rulemaking, SEMA President and CEO, Mike Spagnola said, “The EPA has taken a small step in the right direction by providing automakers and specialty aftermarket businesses additional time to develop innovative solutions to reduce…
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