The Government Wants You To Have EV By 2031

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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued new standards. They were less onerous than those issued in the last plan. The rule reads, “…fuel economy will increase 2% per year for model years 2027-2031 for passenger cars.”

How Much Does EV Cost –As Much As $230,000

One reason for the decision was that the higher gas mileage standards would save Americans on gas costs, estimated at $700 over the life of a car. The other was to reduce pollution, which would slow climate change.

The new rules burden car companies. Their passenger car fleets must average 50.4 miles per gallon by 2031. Even low-mileage gas-powered cars only get about 35 MPG today. That means auto manufacturers will need to build more hybrids and EVs. Today, these companies have total sales of which 85% are internal combustion engines.

Hard For Car Companies

The other challenge for car companies is that they must increase the number of EVs and hybrid models they sell. A recent study showed that only 21% of Americans were likely to consider an EV when buying their next car.

Americans will need to adopt EVs much faster than they do now. Hurdles include the EV range, the number of EV charging stations, and high prices.

The new rules press the car companies to change their practices, but they cannot regulate what people want to buy.