On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the finalization of regulations that would boost the current fleet of environmentally friendlier vehicles, resulting in 17% of cars on the road in the country either being an EV or plug-in hybrid. The vehicles impacted by the new standard are light-duty vehicles like passenger cars or trucks that weigh no more than 8,500 pounds manufactured in 2023 and beyond. There will likely be tighter restrictions implemented along the way, as the Biden administration set a goal for 50% of U.S. vehicles to be either EVs or hybrids. EPA Administrator Michael Regan praised his agency’s efforts, which he said resulted from taking science and stakeholders into consideration. “At EPA, our priority is to protect public health, especially in overburdened communities, while responding to the president’s ambitious climate agenda,” Regan said in a press release. “We take a giant step forward in delivering on those goals while paving the way toward an all-electric, zero-emissions transportation future.” According to the Department of Energy, more hybrids certainly make for fewer emissions but still emit significantly more greenhouse gases than EVs. Whereas one EV emits about 3,783 pounds of greenhouse gases annually, a plug-in hybrid releases 5,685 pounds annually, while a standard hybrid releases 6,258 pounds per year. Read more