General Motors calls for national push for electric vehicles

The company announced this plan Friday in response to the Trump administration's proposal to reduce fuel economy requirements.

GM's plan would be modeled on California's zero-emission vehicle program. Automakers would be required to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles, which are usually powered by electricity, or pay credits to other companies that manufacture such vehicles.

"We believe in a policy approach that better fosters US innovation and launches a much-needed national discussion on the development and deployment of electric vehicles in this country," said Mark Ruess, GM's executive vice president of the United States. product development.

GM estimates that the program could put more than 7 million long-range electric vehicles on US roads by 2030. The proposal would boost infrastructure investment, such as electric charging stations, and create jobs, said GM.

Trump's proposal, made in August, would essentially cancel the demands of the Obama administration and freeze fuel-saving standards and carbon dioxide emissions at 2020 levels. Carbon Dioxide causes global warming.

A program like this could be a good business sense for GM. This would give the company a competitive edge over most other automakers. GM has already invested heavily in the creation of Chevrolet Bolt EV and Chevrolet Volt's rechargeable vehicles and is committed to launching 20 models without emissions by 2023. This could include hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, also eligible for zero issues.

According to the GM proposal, 7% of the vehicles sold by each car manufacturer in 2021 should be designated as "zero emissions". Automakers would get partial credit for cars like the Chevy Volt Plug-in Hybrid, which runs without emission some of the time. The 7% requirement would then increase each year to reach 15% by 2025, then 25% by 2030.

Automakers who do not meet the requirements could buy credits from companies that do so, which would encourage automakers to exceed their target.

The current rules on fuel economy and motor vehicle emissions have been developed between the Obama administration and California. California has long been allowed to establish its own emissions rules, which are followed by other densely populated states. Trump proposed to remove the so-called "California waiver", a decision that will result in lengthy court battles.