Energy expert calls on Americans to 'rise up against' Biden's latest EV mandate

In reaction to the Biden administration’s latest defense of the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), one U.S.-based energy and oil expert has issued a call-to-action for American drivers.

"These are cars that Americans don't want and can't afford. The rule that the EPA put out yesterday is bad for American consumers. It's bad for American jobs, and it's only good for China," American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Mike Sommers said Thursday on "Mornings with Maria."

"The American people need to rise up against this rule and reject it."

In a joint announcement Wednesday, the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled the most aggressive multi-pollutant emission standards ever finalized. While the regulations target gas-powered vehicles, they are explicitly designed to push wider nationwide adoption of EVs and, according to officials, are expected to ensure nearly 70% of all new car sales are zero-emissions within a few years.

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According to administration officials, the regulations will help "tackle the climate crisis" by reducing the transportation sector's carbon dioxide emissions by a staggering 7.2 billion metric tons over the course of the program, which will be in effect through 2032. Officials also told reporters on a press call that the regulations would reduce the amount of oil consumed in the U.S. by billions of barrels within three decades.

"If you live in an urban environment, if you're only commuting 30 miles a day, it might make sense for you to have an EV. But for most of Americans who commute longer than that and are concerned about where they're going to charge up their vehicle, this is a vehicle that just doesn't make sense," Sommers argued.

"Consumers deserve that choice," he added. "And the federal government making that choice for them is, I think, something that most Americans are going to reject."

When the tailpipe emissions rules kick in, automakers will be compelled to increase production and sales of EVs, plug-in hybrids, traditional hybrids and fuel cell vehicles. Under one "low cost" model EPA outlined in the rule, officials said automakers would be forced to ensure 56% of light-duty car sales are battery electric and another 13% are hybrid by 2032.

Sommers warned automakers will look overseas to find the most affordable prices for EV parts, like lithium batteries and semiconductor chips.

"What this rule does is it sacrifices that energy security to China, where most of these rare earth minerals are mined and processed. So this doesn't make any sense from a national security perspective. It certainly doesn't make any sense from an energy leadership perspective," the exec said.

"Only about 8% of the cars sold in this country right now are electric vehicles. In eight short years, this rule proposes that it goes to 68%," he expanded. "That means fewer consumer freedoms, loss of American jobs, and yes, that is a gift to our greatest geopolitical foe, China."

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The "truth," Sommers noted, is that Americans will need more oil and gas in the future.

"We're now producing over 13 million barrels of oil a day — that is a security blanket against the geopolitical world that we're living in, where we have two wars going on, potentially more," he said. "If it weren't for American production, oil prices would be significantly higher. And that should be a point of pride for America."

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Fox News’ Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.