USA: From 2035, authorities will only be allowed to procure zero-emission vehicles

Joe Biden is serious: In one of his first speeches after being sworn in as the new US President in January 2021, he announced that he wants to electrify all 645,000 "federal vehicles" in government fleets. Per year, the government buys around 50,000 new vehicles. According to a now-signed "Executive Order," only zero-emission vehicles may be purchased for passenger cars and LCV (Light Commercial Vehicles) - that is, with battery-electric or fuel cell-electric drives. However, there are exceptions - for example, for military vehicles.

The reactions to this "Executive Order" are predictably mixed. The "Alliance for Automotive Innovation," which includes automakers such as GM, Toyota, and Volkswagen, praised the efforts. Dan Becker, Director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign at the Center for Biological Diversity, however, criticized to Reuters the timeline that all vehicle classes are to be converted only by 2035. He finds:

"Waiting 14 years is an awfully long time when we already have some electric vehicles and companies are now deciding whether to make promises or actually produce electric vehicles."

The US government is accompanying the whole initiative with the establishment of a national network with 500,000 charging points for electric vehicles. In the newly formed so-called National Electric Highway Coalition, 53 energy providers are joining forces, including the Electric Highway Coalition and the Midwest Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Collaboration. Together, they aim to equip the main traffic arteries of the USA with fast-charging stations for electric vehicles by the end of 2023. Philip B. Jones, Executive Director of the Alliance for Transportation Electrification, explains:

"We are pleased that this collaboration is coming together with both regional and national reach to develop a framework and provide charging stations across state lines."

Jones adds that they now need to plan, build, and finance the charging infrastructure, with federal infrastructure funding helping a lot, but:

"This is only a down payment on a much larger effort."

John Bozzella, President and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, in which many automakers are organized, pointed out that building the infrastructure "is only one piece of the puzzle":

"Addressing issues such as grid stability, energy demand for charging, and equitable deployment of charging infrastructure will be a crucial part of a successful future for electric vehicles in America. The National Electric Highway Coalition will support the transition to electric vehicles by facilitating the electricity sector's commitment to electrifying transportation across the country."

By now, the automotive industry is also responding: Ford is adding the F-150 Lightning to its portfolio and has had the Mustang Mach E certified as a police car. GM and Stellantis also plan to electrify more vans and pickups.

What does this mean?

The USA remains true to its pattern: as long as something doesn't sell or sells poorly, they hesitate – but when they sense business or see an absolute necessity to change things, they quickly turn facts into law.