It’s Time to Hit the Brakes on Forced Government EV Mandates

In its misguided and relentless effort to force you into public transportation, the Biden administration, via the Environmental Protection Agency, unveiled new standards designed to completely eliminate internal combustion engines by 2032.

This is a disaster in the making that deserves your attention.

In just seven years, emission restrictions on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles will become so strict that it will be virtually impossible for manufacturers to comply with the new regulations. Thus, without a vote in Congress, woke leftist bureaucrats are making a decision that will change the future of America by deciding what kind of transportation you’re allowed to use.

In a statement, EPA administrator Michael S Reagan said, “By proposing the most ambitious pollution standards ever for cars and trucks, we are delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s promise to protect people and the planet, securing critical reductions in dangerous air and climate pollution and ensuring significant economic benefits like lower fuel and maintenance costs for families. These ambitious standards are readily achievable thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which is already driving historic progress to build more American-made electric cars and secure America’s global competitiveness.”

If these draconian measures are actually implemented, the magnitude of the coming disaster for ordinary working Americans cannot be overstated. In an earlier article, I highlighted many issues with EVs that make them untenable for the average family, but here is a recap.

Cost: Currently, EVs are 35% more expensive than comparable gasoline powered models. That means if someone purchased an ICE vehicle for the industry average price of $48,763, a comparable EV would cost $65,830. That’s a 17k hit from day one.

But, but… what about the rebate?

The maximum rebate available for an EV is $7,500, but there are currently only six vehicles that qualify. Worse, it’s important to note that an EV purchaser must actually have a $7,500 tax liability to receive the full credit, or the unpaid balance rolls over to the next year. In other words, you’re not getting a $7,500 check from Uncle Sam unless you owe him that much.

Operating Costs: The supposed big benefit of EVs is their lower operating costs, but even that is a myth. In Q4 2022, the typical mid-priced ICE vehicle cost about $11.29/100 miles of driving. That ratio was $.31 cheaper than EVS charged at home and more than $3 less than vehicles charged at commercially available charging stations.

EV zealots cite studies showing that EVs provide a significant maintenance cost savings over the life of the vehicle, but they avoid discussing the hidden costs of EV ownership, which include higher insurance premiums, expensive battery lease requirements, home charging station installation, higher tire costs, higher battery range costs and the exclusivity of manufacturers’ repair facilities.

Saving the Environment: This one is the biggest load of crap. Were you aware that EV battery production emits 74% more CO2 than an ICE vehicle during the manufacturing process? Psychotic environmentalists don’t like to talk about that one very much. Lithium batteries contain a variety of toxic materials, including cobalt, graphite, aluminum, nickel, copper, steel, manganese, and iron. Graphite mines in China pollute the air in surrounding communities to the extent that everything the dust settles on glitters. Cobalt is mined by slave laborers without respirators in places like the Congo, where people work with pick axes and shovels in unbearable conditions, breathing in air that is thick with toxic dust.

You want to be responsible for that?

Even worse, the majority of the rare earth minerals and metals that are required for battery manufacturing come from China and other nations hostile to our interests. What do you think will happen to EV battery production if China invades Taiwan?

Then there is the issue of battery disposal. Imagine 145 million EVs on the road with a retirement rate of 15 percent per year. That’s 21 million toxic batteries that will need to be disposed of, but that won’t be possible, so they will have to be recycled. Imagine the cost and who will get stuck with the bill.

Safety: EVs are touted as being much safer than ICE vehicles, but that is another myth. EVs are much heavier than their ICE counterparts. For example, a Ford Mustang Mach E weighs just under 5,000 pounds. The similarly sized Ford Escape weighs right around 3,800 pounds. In a head on collision, the driver of the Escape would absorb the majority of the energy and likely suffer far more serious injuries than the driver of the Mach E. The Hummer EV weighs an astounding 9,063 pounds, making it a dangerous weapon if the wrong person is behind the wheel.

These vehicles can’t even stop at a safe, reasonable distance. The Audi RS Etron needed 160 feet to stop from 70 mph, which is 26 feet worse than a gas-powered GMC Sierra.

So Why Aren’t Woke Environmentalists Alarmed?

The most puzzling aspect of the EV debacle is the silence from the woke environmentalist community. Certainly, they are aware of the myriad of troubling issues that surround the government’s relentless push for EV adoption.

Are they so blinded by self-righteousness that they overlook the dangers of EVs? Is their myopia so complete they only see this issue through the prism of emissions at the tailpipe?

Perhaps it’s something more sinister.

In 2032, when the EPA wants all ICE cars banned, imagine a world where the average EV costs over $75,000, after you add in the charger and the battery leasing fees. How many people will actually be able afford that pricey of a car? After ICE vehicles are a footnote in history, it’s easy to envision the environmentalists turning their attention to EVs and demanding the government ban them as well. Certainly, they would have justification.

If EVs are taken off the road, you’ll have no choice but to ride the bus or train to work every day, packed in between the drug addicts and derelicts. But hey, isn’t that what they’ve wanted all along?

This issue is worth fighting over, and we better start making our representatives aware of the danger EVs present to our prosperity and well-being. If you want an EV, go ahead and buy one, but don’t force the rest of us into one of these polluting death traps if we would prefer to keep driving a vehicle with safe and proven technology.