An ambitious proposal to reduce air pollution and advance electrification of America’s vehicle fleets was announced today by EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan and White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. The plan would impose the “strongest-ever pollution standards” for cars and trucks.

The proposed standards are intended to improve air quality for communities across the nation, especially communities that have borne the burden of polluted air, according to an EPA press release, which also said the proposals would avoid nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions, “while saving thousands of dollars over the lives of the vehicles meeting the new standards.”

“By proposing the most ambitious pollution standards ever for cars and trucks, we are delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s promise to protect people and the planet, securing critical reductions in dangerous air and climate pollution and ensuring significant economic benefits like lower fuel and maintenance costs for families,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan at a press conference Tuesday.

The new “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for model years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium Duty Vehicles” is proposed at 82 grams per mile in model year 2032, according to Alejandra Nunez, Deputy Assistant Administrator at the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.

Under the proposal, Nunez estimates a market penetration of compliant vehicles ranging from 64% to 69% by 2032, depending on which of three alternatives is approved.

Between 2027 and 2055, the EPA estimates a total projected net benefit of the light- and medium-duty proposal of between $850 billion to $1.6 trillion. The EPA says the proposal is expected to avoid 7.3 billion tons of CO2 emissions through 2055.

EPA’s proposed standards are said to be designed to allow manufacturers to meet the performance-based standards however works best for their vehicle fleets.

“EPA projects that for the industry as a whole, the standards are expected to drive widespread use of filters to reduce gasoline particulate matter emissions and spur greater deployment of CO2-reducing technologies for gasoline-powered vehicles,” said the release.

The proposed standards are also projected to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, said the release.

Depending on the pathways manufacturers select to meet the standards, EPA projects that EVs could account for 67% of new light-duty vehicle sales and 46% of new medium-duty vehicle sales by 2032.

The second set of proposed standards announced today are greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles. The emissions standards would apply to heavy-duty vocational vehicles such as delivery trucks, refuse haulers, dump trucks, public utility trucks, transit, shuttle, and school buses, and tractor-trailers typically used to haul freight, according to the release.

The EPA projects net benefits of the heavy-duty proposal range from $180 billion to $320 billion.

A request to the EPA for the total cost of the program to taxpayers through 2055 was not received as of press time.

“EPA’s proposals are informed by robust and inclusive stakeholder engagement with industry, labor, advocates, and community leaders,” said the release. “EPA’s proposals will be published in the Federal Register and available for public review and comment, and the agency will continue to engage with the public and all interested stakeholders as part of the regulatory development process.”

“If you think about where we were just a little over two years ago, in the period since President Biden took office, the number of electric vehicle models that are available has doubled, the number of charging stations that line our highways has doubled, and the number of electric vehicles that are deployed on our roads has tripled, said Zaidi at the press conference.

“As a car enthusiast and self-proclaimed car guy, President Biden is seizing the moment,” Zaidi added. “He sees there’s a tremendous technological opportunity in the dramatically reducing cost of batteries and hydrogen fuel cells…and he’s harnessing the potential of that lower cost technology to deliver cleaner air, cleaner water, and a cleaner environment for the American people.”