Poll: Most Americans oppose Biden's electric vehicle mandate

The majority of Americans are not in favor of President Joe Biden's push to mandate electric vehicle (EV) quotas in the United States, according to a poll released this month.

The poll, conducted by Harvard CAPS-Harris, was published in June and found 59% of respondents oppose requiring at least half of all cars sold in America "to be electric cars by 2030." Overall, 75% of Republicans, 41% of Democrats, and 60% of Independents or other voters, answered in opposition.

In 2021, Biden signed an executive order which included a goal of "50 percent of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in 2030 be zero-emission vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles."

The Harvard poll also found Americans are evenly split (50/50) on the $7,500 EV tax credit subsidy to buy an electric car, including 67% of Democrats and 37% of Republicans who support it. It also showed a 50/50 divide on whether or not electric cars actually reduce carbon emissions due to the CO2 emitted generating electricity and obtaining the minerals for EV batteries.

The majority of Republicans (88%) and Democrats (67%) believe gas cars are more affordable than their green counterparts, according to the findings.

The results come despite increasing state and federal efforts to throttle electric vehicle production. A new law in Illinois will soon require new or renovated homes to have EV charging stations, while the state of Washington is eyeing ways to incentivize drivers to switch over to electric transportation. Under the direction of Biden's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the federal push for EV mandates could extend to a 67% quota by 2032.

Another poll from earlier this year found nearly half the country (47%) will likely not buy an electric vehicle as their next car.

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