GM, Environmental Defense Fund team up on EPA push

General Motors and the Environmental Defense Fund say they want to speed up the transition toward an electric vehicle future.

The two entities issued a joint statement Tuesday pushing for an accelerated timetable from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. GM and the nonprofit environmental advocacy group say they want the EPA to set standards requiring at least half of new vehicle sales involve those without tailpipe emissions by 2030 and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 60% for the 2030 model year compared with model year 2021 for light-duty vehicles.

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The groups cited numerous “shared principles” related to the request for enhanced standards.

Those include a desire for “science-based emissions reductions reflecting the availability of zero-emitting vehicle technology,” according to a news release.

The recommendations would need to be formally proposed this year and finalized by next fall, the groups said, and the EPA “should consider adoption through 2035, securing deep pollution reductions and providing a stable investment signal and regulatory certainty for manufacturers.”

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The recommendations also seek a “voluntary, transparent and enforceable opt-in pathway for innovative manufacturers.” The release said that could accelerate deployment, reward leadership and provide investment stability.

GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra noted that the recommendations align with the company’s EV strategy.

“General Motors has the ultimate goal of eliminating tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035,” Barra said in the release. “As new standards are being developed, we are pleased to join the Environmental Defense Fund to provide recommendations that support accelerated adoption of electric vehicles to put us on the path toward that goal.”