Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, considered the most likely Democratic candidate for president in 2024 after Joe Biden in the latest Washington Post ranking, says the solution to high gas prices is getting “most Americans” to switch to electric vehicles — willingly or not.
Buttigieg is issuing federal regulations to force states to limit the use of gas-powered vehicles. If he becomes president, we’ll be living in green hell, compelled to buy pricey EVs to comply with his climate zealotry.
Right now, fewer than 1% of vehicles on the road are electric. EVs are probably the long-term future, but they won’t solve the current pain at the pump; they cost too much, and charging them is a logistical nightmare. The U.S. has 145,000 gas stations but only 6,000 fast-charging stations.
On a radio show July 14, Buttigieg roiled the audience by suggesting that switching to electric cars, rather than producing more energy, is the answer. Meanwhile, gas prices are predicted to rise as high as $6 a gallon this fall, according to an internal U.S. Treasury analysis, or even higher in J.P. Morgan’s worst-case scenario.
EVs are not the answer. Buttigieg is living in la-la land. The average new EV costs about $66,000. A good deal is the 2022 Kia EV6, priced at $40,900 before add-ons, according to U.S. News and World Report. Even that’s more than most people can afford. Three-quarters of Americans who need a car buy a used one, paying around $31,000 for it.
EVs are for big spenders. AAA reports a staggering 78% of EV buyers own other cars. They’re in the income bracket to afford multiple cars. They drive the EV short distances but still fall back on their gas-powered car for long-distance driving.
Lucky for them. Getting a charge away from home isn’t fast or easy, according to the MIT Technology Review. Gas-powered cars zip in and out of gas stations. EV owners have to cool their heels for a minimum of 15 minutes to put a couple of hundred miles on the vehicle, even at the fastest Tesla Supercharger.
That is, if you can find a charging station. They are “nearly nonexistent in rural America,” said MIT.
Even charging at home can be a problem. Take the Tesla Model Y, ranked one of the best electric SUVs of 2022. Even with a 220-volt charger installed in your home, it takes up to 11 hours to power up this model. That’s more than most people sleep in a night.
That’s assuming you’re allowed to recharge. With some states facing brownouts and electricity curbs, there could be restrictions. Texas has already asked EV drivers to avoid charging during peak times. Texas isn’t producing enough electricity to support widespread charging. Imagine being told you can’t plug your car in at night to drive to work the next morning.
The fact is, the nation lacks the infrastructure to support a rapid total transition to EVs, and many states lack the electricity generation as well.
Many of these problems are temporary. The major auto companies are betting on EVs for the future. Both GM and Tesla are partnering with convenience store chains across the country to install charging stations. (The federal government is also funding some stations.) Nearly 14% of Sheetz stores, a regional Mid-Atlantic chain, have Tesla chargers. Sheetz is delighted to sell soft drinks and snacks to EV owners as they wait to power up.
In the long run, count on market ingenuity to solve the shortcomings of EVs and increase their affordability, just like what happened with cellphones. Unfortunately, Buttigieg refuses to wait. He’d rather ram the technology down the public’s throats.
On July 7, he proposed regulations to compel states to reduce CO2 highway emissions, effectively outlawing gas-powered vehicles. The regulations appear to exceed the Department of Transportation’s authority and will be challenged in court. But they indicate Buttigieg’s mindset.
Beware making this climate radical the next president of the United States.
Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York and chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths. Follow her on Twitter @Betsy_McCaughey.
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Electric cars may eventually be the answer but what we have now in EV’s is not. These are toys to play with and see if they’re what you might want. We do want EV’s but not these overpriced golf carts. Again, the auto industry is only supplying us with what they think we want that meets their bottom line. Look at what they have to offer – a $40 – $60+ vehicle that may go 200 miles fully charged. But it’ll go from 0-60 in 3 seconds – ain’t that great, just what I’m looking for to go to the store with my kids. It takes 10-14 hours to charge it or $7000 to place a fast charge to charge it to 80% and kill my batteries prematurely – that will cost up to $10,000 to replace – plus labor of course. We’ve been working on solar for years and besides mine, I don’t see many on the roofs of local homes in the area. We have the ability to make the EV toy a functioning, economical and dependable vehicle but I can’t afford to buy $60,000 toy.
Buttigieg must own a lot of stock in anything and everything that has to do with EVs.
Great commentary. I am not even sure EV will be the answer… I like hydrogen powered. Either way to be green the issue is how to generate and transport the electricity from solar? wind? nuclear plants? We need a plan and solution in place BEFORE we pull the rug out from under the existing transportation and energy systems.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all to learn that PeeLousy, Scummer, AOSEE, and the rest of the Green Nude Eel people have a huge interest in electric cars i.e.: THEY make money when YOU buy them.
I remember my husband saying he has heard all this before. He was born in Berlin in 1938 and lived under soviet rule until the age of 18. I shall die before I drive an electric car you stupid “Butt”. You are not a useful idiot as Lenin used to call people but you are totally useless. I have worked in places you would be so afraid to even go to on vacation. You do not represent the people I have dealt with in other countries. You would be killed in some of them. I am so sick of the woke culture being forced down my throat by the ilk in the democratic party. I am an 82 year old woman and I have not ever seen this before in my country although I have had the opportunity of seeing what has happened in other countries through my overseas work. So we can go on talking and talking but I shall let you all know that I intend to write a letter and will be sending it to the major newspapers .LOL they are not readable for me at this time. They are a joke as is your boss the useful idiot. until he is not useful anymore then they will through him under the bus. And they will do it to you also. This is the strongest letter I have written yet and I hope they (xfinity) will not kick me off as they have done so many times before. Carol
so he gets to choose his sex and we can’t choose our car! FU Buttifudge!
I disagree EV is the answer now or even in the future. Batteries have too many issues and definitely are not environmentally friendly. I would like to see more effort towards Hydrogen. The biggest issue is no distribution network in place and time to re-fuel.
Mandates and totalitarianism is the only thing the Democratic Party understand. The accuse conservatives of it but they are the ones practicing it
Butt Plug is not competent to be POTUS of this country. He doesn’t have the legal right to force anyone to buy anything! He wants to be another dictator like like that pervert Trudeau in Canada. Butt Plug had better remember this is America not Canada! He will be in for a rude awakening if he doesn’t! He could easily have another 1776 event on his hands and unable to handle that!
call them what they are battery cars, and to make the batteries it will put the World Carbon footprint at a 74% Increase. All the fossil fuel engines that are running around the world Today do not cause this much of a Carbon footprint. If you know what you spend on Just your A/C cooling for 1 year at your home. Not any other electricity you may use like Lights Hot water tanks Stoves Ovens Clocks Televison’s Computers Just your A/C, the latest estimate with a Charger at your home to power up your Battery Car will increase your Monthly Bill to Increase 42%. that is after you buy THE Cheapest 168 mile per charge Battery Car for $70,000.00 plus tax, destination, prep, dealer charges. Hey Buttface LACTATING Pregnant Person Butt-a-gee Go _ _ _ _ yourself Fool .. Imagine if you will if everyone had a Battery Car to drive to work and Everyone Charges their Battery Car at the same time .. Good Night to you all .. lmao..
How many demorats drive ev or are they shuttled around in gas powered suburban. The old adage don’t do as I do do as I say. I reversed it a bit.
Another liberal way out in left field. This guy is an idiot and completely out of touch. He can’t even run the transportation department.
Another nonsense idea from a Biden admin intellectual liteweight . Can we drive an electric vehicle on a racist highway system? Unbelievable!
I agree with just about all of the comments I read, Please remember all of them in November and lets get rid of all the vermin who are turning our beautiful country into a banana republic…A pround American and a proud USAF veteran….
Amen brother from a proud RAF vet.
Buttboy needs a good case of monkey pox. I would like to know how he plans to forcibly make someone buy something they can’t afford. He can stop the production and sale of gas, bring the country to a screeching halt as truckers stop driving, no one can get to work, no food in the grocery stores. Yeah, then those that can afford an EV can have to road to themselves. I read that Ford is recalling 100k in hybrids, no chips for the F150 EVs. Good luck with your plan, Buttboy.
The main problem is electric vehicles can only be charged using fossil fuels. Plus the high cost and the fact that the battery when used up requires hazardous material disposal at a high cost. So it’s bad for the environment.
Has anyone checked into the price of replacing the battery? Charging? You can only go so many miles before you have to charge. If I went coast to coast how many times would I have to stop and charge? It’s not like filling up at a gas pump in the few minutes it takes. And how many charges til the battery needs to be replaced? I’ll take a horse or mule any day. Oh but then they excrete methane gas so maybe a bike?
Hopefully he doesn’t live that long. Totally worthless.
How much money does it cost to charge your electric vehicle and where do they get the electricity from for the charge?
Jitterbug is an idiot why would anyone want to listen to him. Another Biden dumba**.