The Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency finalized on Wednesday the “strongest-ever” vehicle emission standards, which will force most new car sales to be electric vehicles by 2032.

The EPA announced the “final national pollution standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 and beyond.” The department referred to the regulations as the “strongest-ever pollution standards for cars,” despite scaling back the requirements by allowing for a more extended rollout after automakers called its initial proposal impractical.

It claimed that the restrictions would “avoid more than 7 billion tons of carbon emissions and provide nearly $100 billion of annual net benefits to society, including $13 billion of annual public health benefits due to improved air quality, and $62 billion in reduced annual fuel costs, and maintenance and repair costs for drivers.”

The EPA also claimed that drivers, on average, would save $6,000 in fuel and maintenance costs over the life of a vehicle.

EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan stated that the department’s new regulations would “solidify America’s leadership in building a clean transportation future and creating good-paying American jobs, all while advancing President Biden’s historic climate agenda.”

“The standards will slash over 7 billion tons of climate pollution, improve air quality in overburdened communities, and give drivers more clean vehicle choices while saving them money. Under President Biden’s leadership, this Administration is pairing strong standards with historic investments to revitalize domestic manufacturing, strengthen domestic supply chains and create good-paying jobs,” Regan claimed.

He assured reporters that the slower implementation would not impact the EPA’s pollution reduction targets.

“Let me be clear: Our final rule delivers the same, if not more, pollution reduction than we set out in our proposal,” Regan stated, the New York Post reported. “Folks, these new standards are so important for public health, for American jobs, for our economy and for our planet.”

Republicans have referred to the new standards as an “EV mandate,” arguing that it will artificially inflate demand for electric vehicles by forcing American consumers to move away from gas-powered cars.

Regan responded to critics, saying, “You know, maybe some would like for it to be an EV mandate, but that clearly is not the case, when you look at the multiple pathways companies can choose to comply.”

“We are staying well within the confines of the law and our statutory authority by not mandating a specific technology,” he claimed.

President Biden’s National Climate Advisor, Ali Zaidi, applauded the president for “investing in America” and supporting the middle class by backing unions. Zaidi stated that Biden’s “agenda is working” to provide Americans with more vehicle choices.

The regulations, which target gas-powered vehicles, were created to push drivers to switch to hybrid- and electric-powered alternatives. Officials expect that the standards will ensure that more than 56% of new cars sold are electric by 2032.

O.H. Skinner, the executive director of the Alliance for Consumers, told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the new emission standards are the Biden administration’s way of “doubling down” on its effort to “forcibly remove from the market a majority of the cars that everyday consumers currently buy and use.”

Skinner disputed the administration’s claims that the push to EVs would save Americans money.

“While an extreme EV mandate might be popular in progressive enclaves, and with federal employees who live in Washington, D.C., a shift to electric vehicles along the lines EPA has announced will make lives worse for everyday consumers while costing them more for the privilege of having their lives inconvenienced,” Skinner told DCNF.

Last week, the Biden administration rolled out an energy grid plan for electric- and hydrogen-powered long-haul freight trucks, Blaze News previously reported. The 16-year infrastructure plan aims to install charging and refueling stations along 12,000 miles of high-traffic corridors.

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