By Della Domingo
SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola released the following statement in regards to the Biden administration's strict new greenhouse gas emissions standards announced yesterday:
On behalf of more than 7,000 SEMA members, we have significant concerns regarding the impact of these proposed regulations on automotive small businesses. The specialty aftermarket industry supports more than one million U.S. automotive manufacturing jobs, yet these people and businesses are often overlooked in the push to electrify our automotive sector.
We fully support the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but actively advocate for the ability of consumers and the marketplace to choose what works best for them. There are many options on the road to zero emissions, and we feel it is crucial for government policy to remain technology neutral. The specialty automotive aftermarket business has been built around the internal combustion engine. It is also the same industry that has led the way in fuel innovations and conversions of old vehicles into new and cleaner technologies. Yet it is clear from the Biden administration's actions and words that electrification is their technology of choice.
This large-scale shift will significantly disrupt automotive industry supply chains and potentially eliminate large numbers of jobs in vehicle manufacturing, parts production and repair shops. We are here to support the work of small business innovators while protecting the small business owners and those they employ by letting the market and innovation drive solutions to the environmental challenges we all seek to solve.