In the wake of President Biden’s historic proposal for electric vehicles, two major implications for the future of electric vehicles are happening—implications that you can voice your opinion on NOW. If you haven’t already taken action, go to RealEVChange.org and contribute to PIA’s fundraising campaign to pressure Washington to do the right thing. (If you have already contacted your members of Congress, thank you!)
A bold EV vision for this country
In March, President Biden put forward a transformative plan to invest $174 billion in electrifying the nation’s transportation system. The original proposal provided unprecedented levels of funding for EVs, including:
- $100 billion for consumer rebates on EVs
- $15 billion for EV charging infrastructure
- $25 billion to electrify 40% of the nation’s transit fleet
- $34 billion in other EV investments
But now, Congressional tepidness to fund such a fundamentally positive change for transportation in America has put this vision in jeopardy. As a PIA supporter, you are in a unique place to help change the outcome of both of these federal efforts.
1. Congressional action has fallen short—you can help change this
Congress fell dramatically short of the president’s vision with the Senate passage of the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA). In this act, direct investments in electric vehicles have been reduced to $7.5 billion, just 4% of Biden’s original proposal.
Now the bill has to be agreed to by the House, where the speaker has said that it will not be considered until a budget reconciliation bill is passed. This is where Congress must hear your voice. Through the budget reconciliation process, it is possible that an outcry from the public can help influence Congress enough to restore the president’s proposed funding for EVs and to help make this nation’s future electric, sustainable, and prosperous for all Americans. This is really our big shot at doing this.
2. Proposed emissions standards are a good start but must be improved
The White House recently announced proposed rulemaking on vehicle emissions and efficiency standards for model years 2023–2026. Additionally, President Biden issued an executive order that sets a voluntary goal of having 50% of all new light-duty vehicle sales be electric by 2030.
While Plug In America commends President Biden in starting us towards a zero-emission transportation sector, we know that the U.S. auto industry is capable of doing far more and doing it faster. We urge the president to hold the industry to a higher standard than what the current emission standards proposal and executive order call for.
Real EV change will come when Congress fully funds EVs and the White House commits to a 100% EV market by 2035
If Congress fully funds EVs and the administration strengthens its proposal to reduce vehicle emissions and its commitment to broaden the EV market, we have a first-ever chance to change transportation for the better and for good. If you voice your opinion loudly and support PIA’s efforts to continue strong pressure on Washington, REAL change can occur.