Letter from the US: Biden calls time on petroleum-fuelled vehicles
Rules mandating EV sales will transform the US automotive industry, but there are significant practical and judicial challenges
The Biden administration introduced rules in mid-April mandating that electric vehicles (EVs) comprise 60pc of new US vehicles sold by 2030 and 67pc by 2032. The rules will essentially regulate internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) out of business by being so stringent that car companies will not be able to comply. However, sales will likely fall well short of the administration’s targets, with the EIA forecasting that EVs’ share of US vehicle stocks will increase from 1pc in 2021 to only 9pc in 2050. And the regulation could create a host of problems unless technological progress makes EVs categorically cheaper and more convenient to use than their gasoline equivalents, prompting lawy
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy






