The Biden administration is reportedly considering easing tailpipe emissions regulations, a move that was designed to force Americans from gas and diesel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles, according to The New York Times, citing three people familiar with the plan. This potential policy adjustment is in response to concerns from major automakers and labor unions and comes amid sliding EV demand, recently prompting companies such as Ford Motor Company to reduce EV production and lay off workers.
"Instead of essentially requiring automakers to rapidly ramp up sales of electric vehicles over the next few years, the administration would give car manufacturers more time, with a sharp increase in sales not required until after 2030," the people said.
This policy change comes after 3,900 auto dealers penned a letter to President Biden at the end of 2023, warning the president to reconsider the pace of EV mandates, citing a severe decline in demand for these vehicles.
"Currently, there are many excellent battery electric vehicles available for consumers to purchase. These vehicles are ideal for many people, and we believe their appeal will grow over time. The reality, however, is that electric vehicle demand today is not keeping up with the large influx of BEVs arriving at our dealerships prompted by the current regulations. BEVs are stacking up on our lots," the dealers said.
They warned: "Already, electric vehicles are stacking up on our lots which is our best indicator of customer demand in the marketplace."
Last month, Ford Motor's electric vehicle sales ran out of juice as the automaker was forced to slash production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning to April "to achieve the optimal balance of production, sales growth and profitability."
A recent note by RBC analyst Tom Narayan said the EV slowdown is far from over:
"Key takeaways thus far from earnings season are that the EV slowdown is not showing any evidence of an inflection, Level 4 autonomy headwinds continue to persist, and fears over supplier inventory overbuild are likely overblown."
Analyst Adam Jonas at Morgan Stanley suggested consolidation is coming to the industry:
The EV bubble is no match for elevated interest rates, and no fiscally conservative American is trying to survive the era of failed Bidenomics with a +$1,000 EV car payment.
Plus, Toyota's chairman and former CEO, Akio Toyoda, will likely be proven right: EV cars will never dominate the global market, adding hybrids are the future.
If the alleged climate crisis is as urgent as portrayed by radicals in the White House and woke corporate media, then why does the Biden administration feel the need to move the transition goalposts if banning gas cars saves the planet?
