A coalition of oil and gas trade groups has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, contesting new emissions standards that they claim will effectively prohibit most new gas cars and traditional hybrids from being sold in the U.S. market within the next decade. The American Petroleum Institute (API), the largest oil trade group in the country, is leading the charge, alleging that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exceeded its authority in implementing the emissions rules for light- and medium-duty vehicles. The API’s legal petition, filed on June 13 in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, seeks to declare the EPA rule unlawful and have it overturned.
The EPA issued the final rules for light- and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2023 through 2027 on April 18, with an updated version published on June 13 in the Federal Register. These rules, set to go into effect on June 17, represent the strictest-ever limits on tailpipe emissions as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to promote the production and adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). The regulations are projected to reduce carbon emissions by 7.2 billion tons through 2055 and provide significant annual net benefits to society, including improved air quality, reduced fuel costs, and lower maintenance expenses for drivers.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue that the new rules will effectively ban most new gas cars and traditional hybrids. They contend that the industry could comply with the emissions standards by increasing electric vehicle sales to 56% by 2032, along with a percentage of plug-in hybrids and gasoline-powered vehicles that achieve higher mileage. The standards aim for an industry-wide average target of 85 grams per mile of carbon dioxide by 2032 for light-duty vehicles.
The API and other industry groups criticize the EPA’s approach of setting fleetwide average standards, which they believe will compel the transition to EVs and disadvantage internal combustion engine vehicles. They argue that automakers will face challenges in meeting the stringent emissions targets and that not all consumers will have access to or be able to afford gas cars under the new regulations.
Overall, the EPA emission rules are a key component of the Biden administration’s climate change agenda, emphasizing the shift towards cleaner transportation technologies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Please rewrite this sentence.
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