President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Thursday encouraging 50 percent of all auto sales by 2030 to be electric vehicles, according to Biden administration officials.
The executive order will rely on commitments made by two of the nation's largest auto manufacturers, General Motors and Ford, as well as Chrysler parent company Stellantis N.V., according to the Wall Street Journal. Executives at the companies have tied the 50 percent voluntary target to the fate of the Senate's more than $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which will provide federal funding for manufacturing and research as well as a network of electric vehicle charging stations.
Biden administration officials have been criticized in recent months for cozying up to electric vehicle manufacturers. The Washington Free Beacon reported in June that former vice president Al Gore lobbied the administration to include green energy priorities in Biden's infrastructure proposal. Some have personally profited from the arrangement. Biden's energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, earned $1.6 million after selling her shares in the electric bus maker Proterra. The president and Vice President Kamala Harris have touted the green company while promising to fund infrastructure, like charging stations, that would help support it.
Electric vehicle sales comprised just 3 percent of the U.S. market in May and June.