Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04)

Throughout the tenure of the current Administration, President Biden has promoted the unrealistic, and frankly inane, “EV Revolution.” The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) de facto EV mandate, requiring two-thirds of all new vehicles be electric in less than ten years, was tone deaf at best, impossible at worst. With rising economic costs, Americans, especially those living in rural areas like the Fourth District of Arkansas, are unable to afford the financial and logistical challenges that come with this forced push. This push back is increasing, and earlier this year, MotorTrend interviewed lawmakers on Capitol Hill to discuss this issue. It was a pleasure to speak with Miguel from MotorTrend on the unnecessary government overreach through subsidies and mandates.

Americans across the country are not buying what is being sold – literally. The push for more EVs on car lots is only harming local dealerships who are forced to sell EVs but can’t seem to get anyone to purchase one of these “climate-saving” vehicles. For one, the cost is astronomically high compared to their counterparts with internal combustion engines. And secondly, according to Consumer Reports, EVs have nearly 80% more problems and are less reliable – meaning more trips to auto shops, which are ill-equipped to handle these cars, for costly repairs. Furthermore, with the winter months approaching, there are reports of EVs malfunctioning in cold weather, leaving drivers stranded and stuck in freezing temperatures.

In the early days of the combustion engine, the need for gas stations was met through demand. There were no government subsidies for incentivization or a need for mandated gas stations because consumers purchasing vehicles created a need which was met by private organizations who recognized it and capitalized on it. Now, in the early days of the EV, the government is forcing EV charging stations in a market where they, frankly, have no place to be and where EVs are not creating the demand necessary to produce charging stations. These government subsidies and regulations are bad policy, to put it simply.

These EV mandates are not only hurting hardworking, everyday Americans, but the Biden Administration’s refusal to bolster domestic processing of critical minerals needed to produce EV batteries poses a national security risk and economic issue. The push for more EVs creates a demand for more output, which creates a demand for more of these batteries. This demand requires minerals which we are sourcing from outside of the United States – creating a dangerous dependency on foreign adversaries while also incurring high costs to taxpayers. All this so that we can decrease carbon emissions by 1%.

The claim that EVs can combat climate change comes with little understanding of the actual climate change issue. Only 13.49% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the United States. Out of that percentage, 29% of emissions come from the transportation sector, of which only 57% of emissions come from light duty trucks and passenger vehicles. This means that only 2.2% of global emissions come from U.S. light duty trucks and passenger vehicles. Based on these numbers, the fight against climate change by mandating the use of EVs is completely miscalculated and misdirected. Only 40% of U.S. electricity comes from non-carbon emitting sources so the current maximum potential to reduce carbon emissions with EVs in the U.S. is less than 1%.

There is no doubt that EVs are fascinating technology. And they certainly have their place. But the solution to climate change is not found in a push for their use and production. And while we are busy mandating the use of vehicles that the American people show little to no interest in, we are playing directly into the hands of our adversaries. Ultimately, Americans deserve the right to choose which vehicle is best to use for their personal use or for their family, whether that be an EV or a traditional car with a combustible engine. As we head into the 119th Congress, House Republicans must reclaim energy dominance through policy that champions the domestic production of needed minerals and puts an end to these arduous mandates which threaten the prerogative of the American people we serve.   

Watch the full MotorTrend documentary, “Why America Is Struggling With EVs,” at the link HERE.