Energy worker advocacy group supports governors' call to end Biden EV mandate

A non-profit organization that advocates for American energy workers supports governors who are urging President Joe Biden to remove his federal electric vehicle mandate

“These governors are telling the truth Joe Biden doesn’t want to hear, EVs are expensive, unwanted, and shouldn’t be forced upon unwilling consumers,” said Daniel Turner, founder and executive director for Power the Future. “I applaud these governors for standing up for working families and urge more leaders to join them.”

In a letter to the White House Jan. 22, 16 governors told Biden to remove the mandate.

Writing on behalf of American consumers, the governors said the mandate requiring two out of every three vehicles to be battery-powered by 2032 is unrealistic for the country’s domestic marketplace and harmful to American customers.

“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,” the governors said in the letter. “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.”

Thousands of auto dealers across the country also told the Biden administration that consumers are not choosing electric vehicles and should not be denied another option. A clear majority – 59% – of U.S. adults oppose phasing out the production of new gasoline vehicles by 2035, according to a 2023 report from Pew Research Center.

Consumer demand aside, the governors' letter argued the U.S. currently lacks the grid capacity, charging stations, and domestic production necessary to support battery operated vehicles on a large scale. China controls 70% of electric vehicle battery production, according to a 2022 Congressional Research Service report cited in the letter.

“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,” the letter said. “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.”

American consumers, rather than the federal government, should determine the growth of the electric vehicle industry, the letter said.