OPINION:
President Biden wants Americans to get on board his transportation transformation — like it or not. With his newly proposed tailpipe emissions dictates, the president would effectively force drivers to trade their gas-powered vehicles for expensive electric models. It’s no secret that battery-powered vehicles are pricey. Less well known are the associated environmental and technological costs to be borne by “the land of the free.”
The Environmental Protection Agency last month announced a proposal for stricter emissions standards starting in 2027 that would effectively require auto manufacturers to boost sales of electric vehicles, or EVs — which accounted for just 5.8% of sales in 2022 — to about 50% in 2030 and 67% by 2032.
Not every green government dream makes for clean water and air, though. Mining lithium, the highly reactive, silvery metal that fuels EVs, comes with dangers to human health that rival the environmental objections to fossil fuels. Digging up a ton of lithium requires half a million liters of water, according to the Columbia Climate School. The wastewater runoff poses the risk of contaminating drinking water. And manufacturing the average EV battery weighing 1,200 pounds produces 70% more carbon dioxide than building a gasoline-powered car.
These environmental concerns may explain why there is only one working lithium mine in the United States — in Nevada — and a second one under construction near the Nevada-Oregon state line is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit brought by environmentalists.
Consumers blanching at the average EV sticker price of $58,385 — about $10,000 more than a comparable gasoline-powered model — face other bewildering economic and technological issues along Mr. Biden’s road to transportation transformation. Electric charging speeds that vary by model and utility rates that vary by time of day and region of the nation make for wildly different fueling prices.
The cost of home-charging equipment can run from $200 to $1,000, and installation can add $800 to $1,300. A solar-powered recharging unit can cost more than $7,000, according to Edmunds.com.
The break-even point for switching to an electric car can range from five to 15 years. With drivers trading for new wheels on average every eight years, EV owners will need to drive “Sparky” longer than “Old Bessie” to make it pay.
To be sure, Mr. Biden is offering carrots to enhance EV affordability. His Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 contains manufacturing content requirements meant to favor domestic manufacturers and U.S. free-trade partners. Accordingly, U.S. consumers aware of China’s dominant 75% share of the EV lithium battery market might warm to driving electric if their dollars won’t enrich a geopolitical foe. In addition, an IRS-allowed tax incentive of $7,500 may soothe EV sticker shock.
Conversely, the president is wielding sticks designed to spike gasoline prices. Although gas prices currently average “only” $3.67 a gallon, his policies are clearly meant to trigger consumer pain.
EV environmental and economic factors aside, Americans generally dislike Biden-style overreach. Those believing the federal government is too powerful outscore those saying Washington has it about right 54% to 39%, according to a recent Gallup Poll, and only 6% say the federal entity is too weak.
Americans should feel free to choose their own rides and leave EV-loving President Biden spinning his wheels.
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