The Environmental Protection Agency is considering slowing tailpipe emission limits, which would give automakers more time to increase electric vehicle sales. The New York Times, followed by the Washington Post, reported the change, which could be viewed by some as a major election-year concession to automakers and labor unions.
According to recent reports from the New York Times and the Washington Post, the EPA is considering slowing tougher tailpipe emissions in a pending rule that first called for EVs to account for two-thirds of car and light-duty truck sales by 2032.
That decision could mean a big win for corn ethanol. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says that EVs still have too many reliability drawbacks.
EPA spokesman Timothy Carroll told the Washington Post that the agency is “committed to finalizing a technology standard that is readily achievable” while automakers say EV sales have slowed. Cooper says that ethanol continues to deliver results in reducing carbon emissions at an affordable price.
The RFA released a study ahead of its annual conference which shows that the ethanol industry supported more than 72,000 jobs and $54 billion in economic activity last year, with corn buys alone, totaling nearly $32 billion.
