U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm was in Michigan Thursday to tout the Biden administration’s new fuel economy standards and a goal to significantly increase electric vehicle sales.
The Biden administration wants automakers to raise gas mileage and cut tailpipe pollution between now and model year 2026. It also has won a voluntary commitment from the industry that electric vehicles would make up roughly half of U.S. sales by 2030. Both the regulatory standards and the voluntary goal are included in an executive order.
The moves are big steps toward President Joe Biden's pledge to cut emissions and battle climate change as he pushes to shift the nation away from internal combustion engines and toward battery-powered vehicles.
In Holly, former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm toured a Magna International plant that produces electronic components.
The U.S. Energy Secretary says the Biden administration’s moves are good news for the state’s auto industry and workforce.
“Good jobs will be created in Michigan,” says Granholm.
Granholm also stressed the need to expand production of semi-conductor chips in the U.S.
A chip shortage has plagued Michigan automakers, who will be idling a couple plants in the state next week.
Granholm says it’s important for U.S. manufacturing to take the place of foreign sources.
“We want to make the batteries here. We want to make the chips here. We want to make the vehicles here,” says Granholm, “We want to so the whole thing soup to nuts and that means jobs.”
An important component of the bi-partisan infrastructure bill before Congress is $7.5 billion for building a national network of charging stations.