Zero-emission cars and stripes
The United States aims to clean up its car fleet with strict standards, and although this new mobility plan has quietly passed under the radar, it can potentially cause a huge green shift in the transport sector. Stephanie Searle joins the show to explain why
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Think about the United States’ relationship with cars and the first thing that comes to mind is probably gas-guzzling SUVs and gigantic pickup trucks roaring down an arrow-straight freeway.
However, that may soon be an anachronistic impression of US transport now that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tabled a new plan that would scrub billions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from transport’s pollution docket.
If adopted as it stands, the EPA’s standards would go some way toward putting the US on a more even footing with the likes of China and Europe when it comes to zero-emission mobility, especially when coupled with the financial firepower offered by the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and its billions of dollars in green subsidies.
But what does the plan actually mean for the automobile industry? How will this coexist with other vehicle standards and regulations? And how feasible is the EPA’s proposal?
To answer these questions and more, Sam is joined by special guest Stephanie Searle from the International Council on Clean Transportation. Stephanie heads the ICCT’s fuels programme and is the lead on US policies so is able to shed a lot of light on what has been hailed as one of the most ambitious climate plans ever unveiled stateside.
Enjoy the dispatch!
If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Stephanie Searle
Sam Morgan
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy
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