TRENTON, NJ – With a majority of New Jerseyans opposing New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s radical 2035 ban on gasoline-powered sales, the struggling initiative just got a major boost from the federal government.
Under Murphy’s plan, a slow phasing out of the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles, aided by increased emissions standards, would make it illegal for auto dealers to sell a new gasoline-powered car by 2035. Murphy’s plan has been met with resistance from multiple angles, including local politicians, auto manufacturers, car dealers, and constituents.
This week, Murphy’s plan got a shot of adrenalin from President Joe Biden and change is coming soon.
The Biden administration has announced the implementation of the most stringent pollution standards for cars and light trucks in U.S. history, marking a significant step in the nation’s shift towards electric vehicles. Set to commence with the 2027 model year, these new regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandate an increase in electric vehicle sales and a reduction in carbon emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan highlighted the groundbreaking nature of these standards, emphasizing their potential to curtail over 7 billion tons of carbon pollution through the model years 2027 to 2032. This figure quadruples the total carbon emissions from transportation in 2021. The initiative aims to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, with projections showing nearly a 50% reduction for light-duty vehicles and a 44% reduction for medium-duty vehicles.
The regulations also target a drastic decrease in health-detrimental soot emissions from gasoline vehicles by over 95%, a measure expected to markedly improve air quality, especially in urban areas. Echoing California’s aggressive policies towards eliminating gas-powered vehicles, the federal rule could amplify efforts across states that have adopted California’s stringent standards.
The “Multi Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles,” build on EPA’s existing emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks for model years 2023 through 2026. The standards continue the technology-neutral and performance-based design of previous EPA standards for cars, pickups, and vans, and leverage advances in clean car technologies to further reduce both climate pollution and smog- and soot-forming emissions. EPA is finalizing the same standard proposed for MY 2032 while allowing additional time for the auto sector to scale up clean vehicle manufacturing supply chains in the first three years covered by the rule.