President Biden is expected to sign an executive order calling for 50% of new-vehicle sales to be plug-in hybrid, battery-electric or hydrogen-electric by 2030, the White House announced on Thursday.

While this is a non-binding target, several automakers issued statements in support of it. Ford, General Motors and Stellantis issued a joint statement confirming their "shared aspiration" to achieve the goal.

Ford also joined BMW, Honda, Volkswagen, and Volvo in a separate statement of support. These automakers previously made a deal with California with stricter emissions standards at a time when the state's emissions rule-making ability was under attack from the Trump administration. California is currently aiming for 80% electric-vehicle sales by 2035, with more tightly regulated plug-in hybrids making up the other 20% of sales.

Factory Zero - GM reconfigures Hamtramck plant for EVs

Factory Zero - GM reconfigures Hamtramck plant for EVs

The timing is right for ambitious EV sales goals because of factors like decreased battery costs, increased average range, and the larger number of models now available, the White House said in its statement. The official statement also mentioned competition with China, noting that the U.S. EV market share is currently one third that of China.

To support greater volumes of EVs, Biden also called for investment in a national charging network and a domestic supply chain for EV manufacturing, as well as point-of-sale purchase incentives for car buyers. Earlier this year he proposed a $174 billion spend on the promotion of EVs, including charging networks, as part of an infrastructure bill.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are also working on stricter emissions standards, the White House confirmed. The new standards will "build on the momentum" of the California framework previously backed by Ford, BMW, Honda, VW and Volvo. The NHTSA proposed rule takes effect for model year 2024, while the EPA proposed rule takes effect for model year 2023, but both rules are intended to work compatibly through the 2026 model year, according to the White House.