A coalition launched Nov. 17 will advocate for national policies to enable 100 percent electric vehicle sales in the U.S. by 2030.
The Zero Emission Transportation Association is pushing for "an accelerated transition to electric vehicles, which will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, secure American global EV manufacturing leadership, dramatically improve public health and significantly reduce carbon pollution," according to a statement.
The nonpartisan group, based in Washington, is backed by 28 big-name corporations representing several industries. Members include EV manufacturers and startups such as Tesla, Rivian, Lordstown Motors and Lucid Motors as well as ride-hailing giant Uber and regional utilities.
"For the first time in a generation, transportation is the leading emitter of U.S. carbon emissions. By embracing EVs, federal policymakers can help drive innovation, create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and improve air quality and public health," Joe Britton, executive director of the association, said in a statement.
"ZETA's formation recognizes a pivotal moment for national leadership and reflects the will of the growing clean transportation sector," he said.
Britton said the group is not calling for a ban on sales of new gasoline-powered vehicles or lobbying for a national zero-emission vehicle mandate.
California in September announced plans to stop the sale of new passenger cars and trucks with internal combustion engines by 2035. The Canadian province of Quebec followed suit Nov. 16. United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Nov. 18 that the U.K. has set 2030 as the goal to end the sale of new gasoline and diesel-powered cars, moving that target date up by 10 years.
"The group is putting in place the federal policies to support that goal — not mandate it," Britton said in an email to Automotive News. "We need consumers, infrastructure and domestic manufacturing to all move in the same direction."
The group's policy goals include consumer incentives that encourage the adoption of EVs; federal emissions and performance standards that will send the "correct market signals" to support and accelerate the transition to zero-emission transportation; investments in infrastructure and domestic manufacturing; and federal leadership that provides "an aligned vision for electrification."
An affiliated group called the ZETA Education Fund has launched alongside the association and is focused on educating the public on environmental and social benefits associated with EVs.