Experts Say Proposed Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Rules Not an EPA ‘Ban’ on Gas-Powered Cars

Pending regulations under review by the Biden administration could greatly increase the number of electric vehicles sold in the U.S. But if implemented, the proposals to reduce tailpipe emissions and raise the fuel efficiency standards of cars and trucks would not “ban” the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles, as a trade group for fuel makers falsely suggests in an ad campaign. Policy experts told FactCheck.org that carmakers – particularly under the suggested federal regulations – would have flexibility in how they meet the proposed requirements, including by making vehicles with internal combustion engines more efficient. “Requiring vehicles to be more efficient and emit less is something that regulators in the US have done for decades, and automakers are free to comply with those standards in whatever strategy works best for them,” John Helveston, a George Washington University assistant professor of engineering management and systems engineering, said in an email. However, two ads airing in seven states and the Washington, D.C., area give viewers the impression that cars that run on gas soon will not be allowed to be made and sold in the U.S. The ads are part of a reported $7 million issue-ad campaign the American Fuel & Petrochemical...