WASHINGTON—The Specialty Equipment Market Association and the Tire Industry Association are opposing two Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules that would dramatically increase the number of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on the road.
"SEMA and its members have serious concerns with this proposal, which aggressively seeks to lower carbon emissions under timelines that effectively make electric vehicles the de facto choice option for auto makers to meet the requirements. Government shouldn't pick winners and losers," SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola said when he testified before the EPA May 11.
Calling the mandate "far too fast," Spagnola said SEMA believes it will create a "seismic shift for small businesses who don't have the capacity to make the shift this quickly, especially when they're not receiving billions in government funds like the large auto makers are to fund their electric vehicle programs."
The EPA disclosed April 11 it is seeking new emissions standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles—cars, trucks and vans weighing up to 14,000 pounds—that could require up to two-thirds of new-vehicle sales to be ZEVs in 2032.
Spagnola went on to say that one-third of consumer spending on performance and accessory products—nearly $17 billion of the $51 billion specialty aftermarket industry—goes toward upgrading internal combustion engines and drivetrains.