PHEV inclusion adds ambiguity to new EPA standards 

While Canada, the UK, and the EU have pledged to ban the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) cars by 2035, the US has proven reticent in setting out a hard timeline. Instead, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken softer measures. In 2021, it set out tailpipe emissions targets for model years 2023 through 2026 that would bring CO2 emissions to 171g per mile, down from the 2020 baseline of 202g per mile implemented under the Trump administration.  

In March 2023, the EPA outlined its plan for tailpipe emissions for model years 2027 through 2032, targeting a further CO2 reduction of 56% (to 86g per mile). Following several public comments from major automakers describing compliance as unworkable within the given timeframe, these rules were adjusted on 20 March 2024 to accommodate a more gradual run-up to implementation between 2027 and 2029, before taking full effect from 2030 onwards.