Increase sales of electric cars, beef up environmental regulations eased by Donald Trump: Joe Biden unveils his plan on Thursday to green the American auto industry, in the face of aggressive Chinese and European competitors.
The US president wants half of all cars sold in the US by 2030 to be emission-free, that is, electric, plug-in hybrids or hydrogen, according to a document released by the White House.
Joe Biden is due to sign a decree to this effect on Thursday.
Read also: Electric car: Renault is betting on France
He intends to "
put America in a position to lead the future of the electric car, to overtake China
" which is already investing, producing and selling at a high rate, "
and to face the climate crisis.
"The three big American manufacturers, namely Ford, GM and Stellantis (which has in its bosom the historic brand Chrysler) affirm in a statement published jointly their"
common ambition to reach in 2030 at 40 to 50%
"of vehicles of this type sold annually in the United States.
In another press release, manufacturers BMW, Honda, Volkswagen, and Volvo, often considered more advanced in electrical matters than the big names in Detroit, the cradle of the American automobile industry, “
applaud
” the initiative.
Support from unions
The American president, always anxious to promise “
well paid and unionized jobs
” in each of his public interventions, also rallied the powerful union UAW.
“
UAW members are ready to build these cars, these electric trucks and the batteries that go with them.
Our members are America's secret weapon to win this global race
, ”wrote President Ray Curry, also quoted in the White House communication.
While this 50% figure does not go far beyond what many manufacturers are already considering, the march is nonetheless high for the United States. If the country is the cradle of Tesla, undoubtedly the great world star of the electric car, American manufacturers and motorists have been slow to convert, compared to the Chinese or the Europeans. According to the International Energy Agency, in 2020 electric vehicles represented only 2% of new car sales in the United States - compared to 10% in Europe.
Joe Biden, who is organizing an event on the lawns of the White House on Thursday to detail these measures, also intends to strengthen fuel consumption regulations again.
President Donald Trump had very clearly lowered the requirements of his predecessor Barack Obama in this area.
Read also: Soon, electric cars cheaper than thermals
The current emissions regulations, which date from March 2020, require manufacturers to improve the energy performance of their models by 1.5% per year, that is, the distance traveled with a unit of fuel, between the years 2021 and 2026 - against 5% demanded by the Obama administration.
The Biden administration did not immediately unveil a new quantified objective.
