EGEB: Lyft, DHL, IKEA, others call for net-zero new vehicles by 2030 – exclusive

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• EV100 businesses call for strong US emissions standards and all new-vehicle sales to be net zero by 2030.
• Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) introduces legislation to rapidly boost US solar manufacturing.
• UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.

Net-zero new vehicles by 2030

Major businesses from the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative in partnership with Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) members sent a letter today to US President Joe Biden. The letter backs robust vehicle standards to achieve 100% sales of new light-duty vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions ideally by 2030. Signatories include Rivian, Lyft, Flo, IKEA, National Grid, and Siemens.

Electrek is exclusively sharing the companies’ letter:

Dear President Biden, Administrator Regan, Secretary Buttigieg, and Acting Administrator Cliff, 

We write to you today as a collection of leading groups and businesses focused on accelerating electric vehicle adoption in the United States. We applaud your Administration’s leadership in prioritizing renewable energy development and transportation electrification through actions such as the American Jobs Plan and the proposal to restore California’s vehicle emissions waiver.

We strongly support the establishment of robust vehicle standards to achieve 100% sales of new light-duty vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions ideally by 2030. Strong emission standards will help drive the burgeoning US industry to make EV’s the new normal by 2030. 

The climate crisis is accelerating at an alarming pace, and millions of people are already suffering from its impact. Since the transportation sector is the largest source of emissions in the US it also stands as the largest opportunity to reduce our country’s overall emissions. Transportation electrification can revitalize the economy, create millions of jobs, and improve public health for communities across the nation. 

More than 40% of Americans — over 135 million people — live in communities with unhealthy ozone or pollution levels that often lead to premature deaths and health conditions like asthma. This burden is disproportionately borne by disadvantaged communities. Fossil-fuel powered vehicles, especially diesel, emit pollutants like particulate matter and NOx, which have been attributed as the leading cause for premature deaths in the US. And while EVs have zero tailpipe emissions that will help reduce public health impacts, they are also 67% less carbon intensive over their lifetime compared to gas-powered vehicles, creating substantial climate benefits.  The cost savings from improved public health and environment amount to $1.3 trillion through 2050.

Strong vehicle standards will also send a strong market signal that the US is committed to emissions reduction and is intent on restoring global automotive leadership. These standards, when paired with the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), will create hundreds of thousands of American jobs.  In 2020 alone, the clean vehicles industry in the US created more than 270,000 jobs, and, as projections indicate, the US can create 2 million jobs by 2035 with the right regulatory support from our nation’s leaders.

The evidence is clear. If the US makes EVs the number one choice for new light duty vehicles by 2030, our transportation sector emissions will be cut in half by 2050. This can help prevent approximately 150,000 premature deaths and save nearly $1.3 trillion in health and environmental costs.

As the country’s leading EV manufacturers, fleet operators, utilities, and transportation network companies, we represent and understand the need to urgently move towards a clean vehicle future. By focusing on renewable and clean energy sources, these technological advancements will play an essential role in helping the US achieve its sustainable energy goals.

Thank you for your efforts and consideration on this critical issue. Strong vehicle standards that drive 100% sales of new light-duty vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions ideally by 2030 are key to achieving net-zero by 2050. We look forward to continued ambitious actions.

Signatories:

Biogen, Danfoss, DHL, Enel X, Flo, Genentech, HP Inc., IKEA, Ioneer USA Corporation, Li-Cycle, Lime, Lordstown, Lyft, Momentum Dynamics, National Grid, Novonix, PG&E, Redwood Materials, Rivian, Siemens, VmWare, WAV

Paul Augustine, senior manager of sustainability at Lyft, provided an email statement for Electrek:

When we announced our 100% EVs by 2030 commitment, we said that meeting our goal will require the collective action of industry, government, and nonprofit organizations to overcome the barriers currently preventing wide-scale electrification, including vehicle availability and affordability. Federal vehicle standards will drive automotive industry innovation to solve both of those problems, and in turn, help us encourage drivers on our platform to make the switch to EVs.

Solar manufacturing tax credit bill

Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) yesterday introduced legislation, the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act, which looks to establish a tax credit for domestic solar manufacturers.

The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

Ossoff’s announcement on his website states:

The Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act would provide tax credits for American manufacturers at every stage of the solar manufacturing supply chain, from production of polysilicon to solar cells to fully assembled solar modules.

PV Magazine elaborates:

The incentive would be available through 2028 with a phase-down taking place the two years following.

[M]odules would receive a credit of 11 cents, multiplied by the capacity of the module; cells would receive 4 cents, multiplied by the capacity of the cell; wafers would be credited at $12 per square meter; and solar grade polysilicon would receive a credit of $3 per kilogram.

Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said:

This legislation is an important step for spurring domestic manufacturing across all key elements of the solar supply chain and we look forward to helping it advance through Congress. In support of Senator Ossoff’s proposal, we are today setting a target of 50 gigawatts of annual domestic solar production capacity by 2030, including polysilicon, wafers, cells and modules, racking and trackers and inverters. It is time to seize the promise of American solar manufacturing.

Photo: DHL