President Joe Biden sought to project unity with the auto industry Thursday as he signed an executive order at a White House event setting a target for half of all new vehicles sold in the United States to be electric or carbon-free by 2030.
CEOs of the Big Three U.S. automakers, along with the president of the United Auto Workers union, flanked Biden as he announced the new voluntary goal and unveiled stricter binding standards for fuel efficiency and tailpipe emissions for cars and light trucks.
In a joint statement, Ford, GM, and Stellantis said they share an aspiration to achieve sales of 40%-50% of EVs (defined as battery electric, fuel cell, and plug-in hybrids), but they are giving themselves more leeway.
BIDEN HAS AUTOMAKERS ON BOARD WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLE GOALS, BUT WILL NEED BUYERS
“Their vision of the future is now beginning to happen, a future that is electric,” Biden said from the Rose Garden, with electric vehicles parked behind him. “There is no turning back.”
Biden’s new initiatives are part of his push to reduce the use of gasoline in transportation, the biggest driver of greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change.
The executive actions are components of Biden’s Build Back Better agenda that includes providing rebates for consumers purchasing electric vehicles, investing more in charging infrastructure to reduce range anxiety, spending on technology to reduce the cost of batteries, and incentivizing factories to build the cars.
Those other policies will require cooperation by Congress as part of infrastructure legislation negotiations. To make his case, Biden warned about the lost opportunity cost of ceding the electric vehicle market to China.
The U.S. market share of electric vehicle sales is only one-third of China’s, which has dedicated generous subsidies to spur purchases while dominating the global supply chain for the cars and their batteries.
“The question is whether we will lead or fall behind,” Biden said. “It’s whether we will build these vehicles or batteries in the United States or rely on other countries. Right now, China is leading the race. We are in competition with China.”
Biden also sought to assure his electric vehicle ambitions will leave “no one behind.”
Union auto workers are an important constituency for Biden, but electric vehicles require less labor to make, threatening employment opportunities.
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In comments at the White House event, Bernard Ricky, president of United Auto Workers Local 600, insisted his workers are “ready to build” electric cars, trucks, and batteries.
“You have our back, and we have yours,” Ricky said.
