Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and 150 other House Republicans have written a letter to Michael Regan, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), expressing their concerns regarding potential adverse consequences associated with enforcing regulations on the vehicle choices made by American citizens, according to a press release from McCaul's office.
“The projected statistics are a far cry from the current EV market share of 4.5 percent, making these standards a deliberate market manipulation to prop up EVs,” the letter states. “Furthermore, a rapid shift towards EVs would benefit only the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as China has a stranglehold on the critical minerals supply chain and manufacturing of EV batteries. For example, China currently controls 50 to 70 percent of global lithium and cobalt refining that are necessary for EV batteries.”
The letter is in response to an EPA proposal on new car-pollution rules that could require that by 2032, two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the country be electric, a measure that CNN called "one of the Biden administration’s most aggressive climate-change policies yet."
The proposal, announced in April, seeks to combat global warming by controlling planet-warming pollution and lowering emissions while simultaneously making electric vehicles (EVs) more affordable for consumers, according to CNN.
A Gallup poll conducted March 1 through March 23 found that U.S. drivers' acceptance of EVs "appears to be slow." Only four percent of respondents currently owned an EV, with just 12% stating they were "seriously considering" purchasing an EV. Nearly 85% of respondents were split, with 43% stating they "might consider" buying an EV "in the future," while 41% reported they "would not buy" an EV.
Additionally, over 60% of respondents stated they think EVs have a minimal or no effect on helping combat climate change, with only 12% responding that EVs help "a great deal."
Democrats, adults 18 to 54 years old and households with an income exceeding $100,000 were more likely to already own or to purchase one in the future, according to the survey.
The Republicans' letter emphasized potential consequences associated with advancing the EPA proposal. Of particular concern is that China presently holds 50% to 70% of the global market in lithium and cobalt refining, essential components for EV batteries.
Implementing the proposal would disproportionately benefit the Chinese Communist Party and increase the United States' energy dependence on China by fourfold, according to the Institute for Energy Research.
