LITTLE ROCK, Ark.— Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined 15 Republican Governors in a letter to President Biden calling for an end to his Administration's unrealistic mandate that two out of every three vehicles be battery electric by 2032.

In addition to Governor Sanders, the letter's signatories include Idaho Governor Brad Little, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.

The full letter is below and linked here:

Dear Mr. President,

We are writing today on behalf of the American consumer to urge you to change course on your current mandate that two out of every three vehicles be battery electrics by 2032. Instead of using government mandates to drive the vehicle market, allow American consumers to maintain choice in the types of vehicles they choose to drive.

While we are not opposed to the electric vehicle marketplace, we do have concerns with federal government mandates that penalize retailers and do not reflect the will of the consumer. Even with deep price cuts, manufacturers’ incentives, and generous government funding, federal mandates on electric vehicles are unrealistic. The American customer should be able to decide what technology makes most sense for them, not the federal government.

Mandates aside, we must also ensure we have the necessary infrastructure to support battery electric vehicles, including grid capacity and reliability, charging stations, and domestic electric vehicle battery production. China currently accounts for 70% of global electric vehicle battery production capacity. Bolstering the domestic critical minerals industry is an essential step to realizing any long-term, responsible electric vehicle battery production. Given China’s current action atop the global electric vehicle production, mandating electric vehicle use too quickly can also present a national security risk. Additionally, just this summer, we saw the challenges associated with electric vehicles when your own Secretary of Energy, Secretary Granholm, and her staff got caught in an altercation at a charging station while attempting to reserve one of the limited charging spots for the Secretary’s electric vehicle.

There are a number of reasons why consumers are leaving these cars on dealership lots – the cost, the infrastructure required, and the battery content requirements are untenable for today’s car buyers. Even if consumers determine over time that battery electric vehicles are appealing, the reality is that the lack of a strong, domestic marketplace makes electric vehicles prohibitively expensive for the American consumer. While battery electric vehicles are a promising technology, we believe it will take time to develop the marketplace, to address consumer access and concerns, and to build out the necessary infrastructure.

Ultimately, we must continue to maintain consumer choice. Your mandates are unrealistic, costly, and prescriptive solutions that harm American consumers. Therefore, we request you remove your mandate that two out of every three vehicles be electric and instead provide a more realistic approach by allowing the free market to determine the direction and timing for the industry’s growth rather than the federal government. Let American consumers decide for themselves.