The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved California’s plan to phase out and ban the sale of new gas-powered cars and light trucks by 2035. ABC News reported the EPA gave California the waivers it needed to enact the Advanced Clean Cars II Regulations (ACC II) devised and approved by the California Air Resources Board in 2022.

The EPA also approved California’s plan to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from heavy-duty vehicles in order to reduce the amount of smog in the air. The state will require an initial 75 percent reduction in NOx pollution followed by a 90 percent reduction a few years later.

The ACC II provides a year-to-year blueprint for phasing out the selling of combustion-engine vehicles. The plan sets a 2026 deadline by which 35 percent of the state’s car sales must be electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids or models with hydrogen fuel cells. Then by 2030, the electric vehicle sale threshold rises to 68 percent before reaching its ultimate 100 percent sale requirement by 2035. Consumers and dealerships will still be able to buy, sell and drive used ICE and hybrid cards until the ACC II. California Air Resources Board chair Liane Randolph estimated the ACC II could lead to a 50 percent drop in pollution by 2040.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom hailed the decision and ACC II in a statement as evidence that “California can rise to the challenge of protecting our people by cleaning our air and cutting pollution.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/epa-gives-thumbs-up-to-californias-new-gas-powered-car-sale-ban-232048688.html?src=rss

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Honda and Nissan are reportedly set to discuss a merger. The Japanese publication Nikkei said the two automakers plan to sign a memorandum of understanding to sort out shared equity stakes in a new holding company for the consolidated rivals.

The potential merger would combine the assets of Japan’s second- and third-biggest automakers, giving them a better shot of competing with the nation’s market leader, Toyota. Bloomberg adds that it would also put them in a better position against Tesla and Chinese EV makers. Nikkei says Mitsubishi could join the talks later.

Earlier this year, Honda and Nissan said they would work together on software development, batteries and other EV components. That “combine-and-compete” alliance followed Toyota’s acquisition of stakes in Subaru, Suzuki and Mazda. With today’s news that the pair are ready to take the next step, the landscape is clearly heading toward fewer (but bigger) legacy automakers competing for customers.

The companies confirmed that they're in talks to The New York Times. "As announced in March of this year, Honda and Nissan are exploring various possibilities for future collaboration, leveraging each other’s strengths," they told the publication. 'We will inform our stakeholders of any updates at an appropriate time."

Bloomberg also reported on Tuesday that Honda is stepping up production of hybrid vehicles as demand for electric / gas vehicles remains high outside of China. The automaker is aiming to double its annual hybrid sales by 2030. “The goal is still to become carbon neutral by 2050, but demand for hybrids will remain high for the foreseeable future,” Honda Chief Officer Katsuto Hayashi said on Sunday. “We see most of that growth happening in North America.”

Speaking of North America, US President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to reverse President Biden’s EV policies. His transition team is said to have recommended ending government support for EVs and charging stations and focusing instead on blocking cars, components and battery materials sourced from China. Climate scientists have warned that transitioning from gas-powered to electric vehicles is necessary to reduce carbon emissions and head off the most catastrophic projections for our planet.

Update, December 17, 2024, 8:46PM ET: This story has been updated to add a statement the companies had provided to The New York Times. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/honda-and-nissan-reportedly-open-merger-talks-205454769.html?src=rss

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In perhaps the least surprising news of the past six weeks, President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to roll back President Biden’s electric vehicle and emissions policies. Reuters reports that the incoming president’s transition team has recommended cutting off support for EVs and charging stations while boosting measures to block cars, components and battery materials from China.

The transition team’s other reported plans include new tariffs on all battery materials globally, boosting US production of battery materials and negotiations with allies for exemptions. They’re also said to plan on taking money allocated for building charging stations and making EVs more affordable and redirecting them to sourcing batteries and their required minerals from places other than China. In addition, they reportedly want to axe the Biden administration’s $7,500 tax credit for consumer EV purchases.

The plans would let automakers produce more gas-powered vehicles by reversing emissions and fuel economy standards, pushing them back to 2019 levels. Reuters says that would lead to around 25 percent more emissions per vehicle mile than the current limits. It would also lower the average car fuel economy by about 15 percent.

Climate scientists have stressed the importance of transitioning from gas-powered cars to EVs in reducing carbon emissions and fending off the most ravaging scenarios for the planet. Greenhouse gases, including those from vehicle emissions, build up in the atmosphere and warm the climate. That leads to a cascade of effects in the atmosphere, on land and in oceans — some of which we’re already seeing.

As for tariffs, economists have said Trump’s plans would likely spur multiple trade wars as countries retaliate with tariffs on American goods, disrupt supply chains and pierce the heart of America’s post-World War II alliances. “If we go down the tariff war path, we’re going down a very dark path for the economy,” Mark Zandi, the chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, told The New York Times in October.

The Biden administration has championed climate legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated $369 billion for green initiatives, and EPA rules that require automakers to ramp up EV sales.

Meanwhile, Trump has called climate change a “hoax.” In May, he reportedly told a group of oil executives that he would immediately reverse dozens of Biden’s environmental rules while blocking new ones from being enacted. His asking price for such deregulation was that they raise $1 billion for his campaign. (Thanks, Citizens United!) So, while the reports about his transition team’s plans are still a gut punch to those who care about leaving the planet in a habitable state for future generations (and slowing the effects we’re already seeing), they aren’t exactly shocking to anyone paying attention.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/trump-reportedly-plans-to-reverse-bidens-ev-policies-182206662.html?src=rss

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