Car dealers across the nation are slamming the brakes on the Biden administration’s push to steer America completely down the electric vehicle path. The EPA’s new emission rules are not outright labeled a ban on gas vehicles, but when you consider that gas-powered cars can’t account for more than 30% of auto sales by 2032, it sure feels like one. Last year, electric vehicles (EVs) didn’t even makeup 8% of new car sales in the U.S., yet here we are, being told to hit nearly 60% in a mere eight years.
Experts in the auto industry doubt the feasibility of hitting Biden’s EV sales targets, predicting instead a surge in costs for the remaining gas-powered cars, putting them out of reach for the average American.
“This regulation is another example of President Biden’s assault on the middle class. The American people should be free to choose the types of cars and trucks that make the most sense for them. This administration wants to take away that choice by forcing Americans into specific vehicles preferred by government agents at the EPA.”
Thomas Pyle, President of the Institute for Energy Research and the American Energy Alliance
Further, there’s the environmental impact of this electric vehicle push. Despite claims of electric vehicles being the cleaner option, studies like one from Emission Analytics reveal EVs may actually be dirtier, contributing more toxic particles from tire and brake wear than traditional vehicles. The net climate benefit of EVs is under scrutiny, with some arguing that when you account for the carbon footprint of manufacturing these vehicles, they’re no better off than their gas-powered counterparts.
In this rush towards electrification, the Biden administration seems to have neglected a key American principle: freedom of choice. The hard push for EV adoption is a departure from allowing the market and individual preferences to dictate automotive trends. Instead, we’re seeing a heavy-handed approach, where Washington bureaucrats, not consumers, are deciding the future of American transportation.
This strategy not only undermines the economic freedom of the average American but also poses a significant threat to the nation’s automotive industry. It’s a policy that reeks of elitism, assuming that the government knows best what the American people need for their transportation, ignoring the varied lifestyles and needs across this vast country.
