GOP Senators go after inflated EV efficiency in fleet standards

2023 GMC Hummer EV PickupIn their ongoing effort to push back against stricter emissions standards expected to lead to more EV sales, Senate Republicans have drafted a bill calling for regulators to change the way EV efficiency is calculated. Dubbed the Recalculating Electric Vehicle Efficiency for Accuracy and Legitimacy (REVEAL) Act, the bill questions the methods the...

Will plug-in hybrids be plugged in, or will they add oil demand?

2025 Ram 1500 RamchargerThe global fleet of internal-combustion vehicles will peak in 2025, but plug-in hybrids may determine whether this leads to decreased oil demand, according to new analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). Sales of internal-combustion vehicles already peaked in 2017, and BNEF expects them to be 29% below that peak in 2027. While BNEF still...

Versus cars, SUVs emit about 20% more CO2—EV or not

2024 GMC Hummer EV SUVGlobal SUV sales continue to grow and, EV or not, so do their emissions, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). SUVs accounted for a record 48% of global car sales in 2023, but surpassed 50% of the market for the first time in "advanced economies" with around 20 million sales, according to the IEA. And while only 5% of SUVs on the...

Report: 4 of 10 Americans live with unhealthy air, and EVs can help

2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6Air pollution remains a major threat to the health of many Americans, but stricter emissions rules could help, according to the American Lung Association. The organization's 25th annual "State of the Air" report found that 131 million people—39% of the U.S. population—live in areas with unhealthy areas of air pollution. And spikes in...

Tighter EPA emissions rules for big trucks don’t mandate EVs

Freightliner eCascadia electric semi-truckThe EPA last week announced stricter emissions standards for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses, for model years 2027 to 2032. Like the new emissions standards for passenger cars recently confirmed, these rules do not mandate EVs, but do set much tougher emissions targets that will likely lead to more EV sales. The exact...

DOE rule may encourage more plug-in hybrids, fewer EVs

2023 Kia Niro plug-in hybridThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) unveiled a revised rule that would effectively give automakers more flexibility with pending EPA rules for model years 2027 to 2032—and more time to ramp up EV sales compared to an earlier proposal. The final rule for Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculation released late Tuesday softens what had been...

Brake-dust particles’ electric charge might help curb emissions

2024 Lucid Air SapphireUp to 80% of brake-dust particles have an electric charge, which could serve as a means of controlling brake dust and improving air quality, according to a new study from the University of California, Irvine (via Green Car Congress). The study, which was funded by fees paid by Volkswagen as part of its 2016 diesel-emissions cheating settlement...

EPA may allow weaker emissions rules, slower EV rollout

2023 Chevrolet Bolt EVThe Biden administration may throttle back strict emissions rules in order to give automakers more time to ramp up EV sales, the New York Times reported earlier this week. Last April, the EPA unveiled proposed tailpipe emissions rules for model years 2027 to 2032. The agency estimated at the time that this would lead to 67% EV sales by 2032, not...

Choosing leather lowers EV carbon footprint, suppliers suggest

2022 Lucid Air Grand TouringSustainability concerns are leading some automakers to switch from leather upholstery to synthetic alternatives. So a group of leather suppliers are making their case. The trade group, called One 4 Leather, claims that leather upholstery made from cow hides has a lower carbon footprint than synthetic materials. That's in part because, the argument...

Cummins faces $1.7B fine for diesel Ram pickup emissions cheating

2019 Ram 2500 Heavy DutyEngine manufacturer Cummins will pay a $1.67 billion fine for emissions cheating with diesel engines in Ram pickup trucks. The fine settles a case brought by the U.S. Justice Department and the State of California claiming Cummins violated the Clean Air Act by installing so-called defeat devices that allowed its Diesel engines to cheat emissions...