Biden administration: gas cars are racist and a problem

October 3, 2023

Back in 2021 the Biden administration said that its proposed $2 trillion infrastructure program would expand mass transit and launch an era of green energy.  Adding another feature to that, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that it would also reverse the “racist” history of America’s highway system.

Buttigieg has now appointed 24 new members to the Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity. This is an Obama-era committee that former President Donald Trump shut down, and Buttigieg is reviving it.

This move harkens back to President Joe Biden’s executive order shortly after taking office that instructs federal agencies to "pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all." Agency heads are to conduct an “equity assessment” to identify policies that create "systemic barriers" in minority communities.

America’s once sensible and productive idea of people getting recognition or a position based on their earning it through performance is being challenged by the idea that everyone gets the good positions without regard to their abilities and performance. This began years ago when, so as to not make anyone in a group who didn’t win or place high feel bad, everyone started being given participation trophies, or ribbons, or something.

Two members of the Committee have made some interesting comments. Andrea Marpillero-Colomina, who has been identified as a "spatial policy scholar," said "all cars are bad" given that they cause "a myriad of environmental issues and conditions." The other member, Veronica Davis, is a self-described "transportation nerd," and said that cars perpetuate "systemic racism" and are therefore "the problem" in our transportation system.

Marpillero-Colomina said that she is not "advocating for a complete erasure" of cars but thinks America needs to end its reliance on private motor vehicles. She asked, "How can we reimagine streets to prioritize people instead of cars? How can we create streets that are inclusive of modes other than cars?"

Along the same line of thinking, Biden is set on getting rid of gas-powered cars in favor of electric ones. And there are now regulations in the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Safety Administration that require automakers to ensure that two-thirds of the new vehicles they sell by 2030 are electric vehicles.

It does not seem to matter to Biden and his fellow travelers that lots of people do not want electric vehicles, and lots of people cannot afford an electric vehicle. The batteries do not last forever, and cost thousands of dollars to replace.

It is also important to recognize that while driving EVs is far cleaner than driving gas and diesel vehicles, the production of the lithium-ion batteries for EVs is a process involving a huge amount of mining and the use of fossil fuels. It is very energy-intensive and is very damaging to the environment. This process may equal the pollution of driving conventional vehicles. 

When their lives are over EV batteries have to be dismantled to recycle the valuable contents. They also contain hazardous materials that must be handled with care. Further, only about 5 percent of batteries are able to be recycled. Some of the contents of batteries that are just thrown away are harmful to the environment. 

It also seems unimportant to those that champion EVs that by going overboard on EVs we are dependent upon China for much of the materials for batteries. 

The U.S. ranks 15th among the 25 nations producing lithium-ion battery metals like cobalt, graphite, lithium, manganese, and nickel, according to BloombergNEF in 2021. And the U.S. is expected to only move up two places in that ranking by 2025.

Sources predict that Japan, now in 12th place, will move up four places as things progress, and that is a good thing. However, China will likely maintain its dominance for the foreseeable future.

And then there is the problem of being able to support the additional demand for electricity when two-thirds of new vehicles are EV by 2030. And remember, much of our electricity is still produced by burning fossil fuels.

While burning less gasoline, diesel fuel, coal, oil and natural gas is a good thing, the actual value of this reduction depends upon what is going on while changing from fossil fuels to wind, solar and EVs. And when you look at all of the information objectively, at this point in time we likely will be causing a lot of problems for people -- like higher prices for so many things and many items we like and need will no longer be available, thanks to administration regulations -- without really making much of a difference in the amount of CO2 that America produces. 

And in considering that tiny improvement in CO2 production, when you recognize that China, India and some other countries are not trying to lessen CO2 production, but are actually increasing it, and all this discomfort and increased expense on the American people is for naught.

Someday, when things naturally progress to that point, wind and solar power will be easily the best way to go, and perhaps EVs will also make sense. That day is a long way off.

Many people see electric vehicles as our environmental salvation

“Specifically, the President will sign an Executive Order that sets an ambitious new target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles,” the Whitehouse Fact Sheet tells us.

“The Executive Order also kicks off development of long-term fuel efficiency and emissions standards to save consumers money, cut pollution, boost public health, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis,” the Fact Sheet continues.

The EO outlines President Joe Biden’s plan “for the U.S. to lead in electric vehicle manufacturing, infrastructure, and innovation,” by investing in:

* A national network of electric vehicle charging stations.

* Point-of-sale consumer incentives to spur U.S. manufacturing and union jobs.

* The retooling and expansion of the full domestic manufacturing supply chain.

* The next generation of clean technologies to maintain our competitive edge.

The Fact Sheet says that “Over the last decade, we have seen a transformation in the technology costs, performance, and availability of electric vehicles. Since 2010:

* “Battery pack costs dropped by 85 percent, paving the way to sticker price parity with gasoline-powered vehicles.

* “Average vehicle range increased dramatically as charging times shortened.

* “Electric models available to U.S. consumers expanded to over 40 last year – and growing.”

How much will all of this cost, and where will the money come from? The recently passed infrastructure bill earmarks $7.5 billion for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.

And, as CBS News reported: “A credit of up to $7,500 for an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle. ... An additional $500 credit for a car with a battery pack made in the U.S. An additional $4,500 credit for cars assembled at a unionized U.S. plant. (Currently, only plants owned by GM, Ford, and Stellantis qualify [formerly, Fiat-Chrysler].)”

The provision is a tax credit — up to federal income tax owed — not a refund. And, CBS also noted that there is an income limit to the credit: You cannot make more than $500,000 for married couples and $250,000 for single buyers.

“This credit is at the point of purchase — it’s not a credit that you apply for,” Kristin Dziczek, senior vice president of research at the Center for Automotive Research, said. “It’s going to come straight off a loan or the price of the vehicle.”

So, the federal government will pay people to buy certain types of cars from certain manufacturers, and pay them more if they buy a union-made car. Why did that factor come into play? Was it because the unions opened their wallets?

And with these tax deduction incentives, won’t that cause an even larger deficit in the false concept that “it’s paid for?”

Even the best ideas have downsides. Here are some problems with electric vehicles.

Lithium is a part — the expensive part — of EV batteries, and it is getting more expensive these days. Where do we get lithium? Not here at home. Australia is the world’s biggest supplier, followed by Chile, Argentina, China, and Zimbabwe in the top five.

Lithium is finite, and it is becoming more expensive because of the demands made by automakers. 

Coal-fired power plants are the single-largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in the U.S., yet that is what supplies electricity to charge electric cars. As EV use increases, so then will the demand for more electricity to charge them. One of the main reasons EVs are preferred over gas-burning vehicles is to reduce pollution. 

After the two different kinds of batteries now used in EVs are no longer useful — after about 20 years — there is not yet a market for the used batteries to recycle them and their parts. 

If you run out of juice on the road, you cannot get a jump start to get back on the road. If a problem with your electric motor develops, you cannot just take it down the street to the shop and find someone who can fix it. Dealers will be the only source of repair.

Speaking of “re-fueling” an EV, how long does that take? According to avtowow.com, “Charging most EVs using 220 volts will give you a full charge in as little as 3-4 hours to anywhere between 10-12 hours (depending on the battery size).”

And what about road-trips? “Charging electric vehicles using 440-volt systems during road trips adds a considerable amount of time to the trip. For example, a trip from Washington, DC to Little Rock, Arkansas could take 17 hours in a regular car,” avtowow.com says. Charging stops will add hours to the trip. And charging on a regular home’s 110-volt power supply could take up to 45 hours.

EVs may well be a sensible option for future transportation. But the industry is not yet up to speed, and won’t be for years. Trying to rush this “solution” into reality is foolish, and will likely make things worse, at least for a while. Which, of course, is usually not a consideration when liberals think they have a problem solved.

Better to let things develop at their own pace. The industry is working toward that end. It will take longer, but the result will be better. And, that will cost taxpayers less money.