…Rein In Electric Vehicles…
Transitioning to battery-powered vehicles (BEVs) undermines the strategic and economic advantages of the United States.
Governments, at both the federal and state levels, are attempting to mandate that only BEVs may be sold after 2035. California has already banned ICE vehicles after 2035, with 14 states about to follow.
The EPA is establishing fuel economy standards that will, indirectly, force Americans to buy BEVs, Governments are using subsidies to encourage people to buy BEVs.
BEVs represented only 3 percent of sales in 2022, but surged in January 2023 as the result of subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA).
The free market, without government interference, should determine whether BEVs replace ICE vehicles.
Americans should be free to purchase any type of vehicle they desire, including cars powered by fossil fuels, i.e., cars with internal combustion engines (ICEs).
BEVs are a niche product with “cool” attributes that will attract many people.
But, BEVs have inherent shortcomings.
- BEVs are expensive. Most Americans can better afford ICEs, especially where families need two cars, and cars that can seat several people with carrying space for packages of all types, from sporting equipment to groceries.
- BEV batteries must be charged. People living in cities will find it difficult to charge BEVs, while those in single-family-homes must pay for installing charging ports.
- BEVs are subject to range degradation in cold weather.
- BEV batteries can ignite, creating self-sustaining, hard to extinguish fires.
The government is also providing grants and billions in financial assistance to automobile manufacturers to help build plants to make the batteries for BEVs..
Then, there is the charging infrastructure. It should be up to the manufacturers of BEVs to build charging stations, not the government. Tesla has demonstrated this can be done.
Transitioning to BEVs undermines the global strategic interests of the United States.
Relying solely on BEVs makes the US dependent on foreign countries for the materials used in the batteries. We will be trading energy independence, with our abundant supplies of fossil fuels, for dependency on China and other countries.
Banning ICEs is neither needed or wise.
The United States has abundant supplies of oil, but not the materials for making batteries. BEVs requires mining tons of hard to extract and process minerals, such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium.
Table 7 from Clean Energy Crisis shows the amount of materials needed by the United States. The availability of these materials, or lack thereof, will become an enormous issue when the needs of Europe and China are included.
For example, including Europe and China will require 24 new graphite mines equal in size to the largest such existing mine in the world. Nine new cobalt mines will be needed, and the story for nickel is similar.
Conclusion
BEVs are a poor alternative to ICE vehicles. Driving through a little standing water, especially salty, flood waters, can play havoc with a BEV.
The large number of new mines will create environmental damage around the world.
Adopting BEVs, to replace ICEs, results in America trading energy independence for dependency on China and other countries for the materials used in BEVs.
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Another excellent post. Thank you.
Thanks for your comment.
The BEV policy is a thoughtless and irresponsible course governments are taking. It’s not only bad for the environment, but it would make the US dependent on its enemies.
Yes. Thanks for your comments.
Both Russia and China are working behind the scenes in the industrialized west and in Asia to convince governments to adopt energy policies that serve Russia’s and China’s self-interest. Asia and the industrialized west ignore this reality at their peril.