Electrifying Standards for New Passenger Cars and Trucks

The Biden administration's new emissions standards for model years 2023–2026 improve upon the previous SAFE rule, with fleet average emissions reductions rising up to 10 percent by model year 2026. While these rules are projected to reduce global warming emissions by 440 million metric tons and drive electric vehicle (EV) deployment to 14 percent by 2026, the Union of Concerned Scientists argues they are insufficient. The document highlights critical loopholes, such as the 'SUV Loophole' and 'off-cycle' credits, and asserts that all new vehicle sales must be electric by 2035 to prevent the worst impacts of global warming.

• The new emissions standards for model years 2023–2026 increase the required annual reductions in fleet average global warming emissions from 5 percent up to 10 percent by model year 2026.
• UCS modeling indicates that the 2023–2026 standards will result in a 12 percent improvement over the status quo, reducing global warming emissions by 440 million metric tons and providing $21 billion in net monetized benefits.
• The new standards are projected to lead to a 14 percent deployment of electric vehicles by the end of the rule in model year 2026.
• To effectively mitigate climate change and health impacts, the Union of Concerned Scientists argues that 100 percent of new vehicle sales must be electric by 2035.
• The 'SUV Loophole' undermines efficiency gains because regulations apply less stringent standards to sport-utility vehicles than to cars, despite a market shift where cars now make up only 30 percent of sales compared to 55 percent previously.
• The use of 'off-cycle' credits for technologies not captured by standard lab tests is criticized, with UCS estimating that over 30 percent of these credits were awarded without justification.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2022). Electrifying Standards for New Passenger Cars and Trucks. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/electrifying-standards-for-new-passenger-cars-and-trucks.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Electrifying Standards for New Passenger Cars and Trucks. 2022. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/electrifying-standards-for-new-passenger-cars-and-trucks.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Electrifying Standards for New Passenger Cars and Trucks |date=April 2022 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/electrifying-standards-for-new-passenger-cars-and-trucks.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2022electrifying, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Electrifying Standards for New Passenger Cars and Trucks}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/electrifying-standards-for-new-passenger-cars-and-trucks.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }