We Can't 'Let Them Eat Cake' People Into EV Use
The smug hinting from the Biden administration isn't helping current fuel prices OR the expansion of electric vehicles.
Last November I had the opportunity to drive one of my dream cars, a Tesla Model 3, around Seattle. It was awesome. Driving something fun and futuristic while flying past fueling stations that had West Coast prices on their signs was very satisfying. The least satisfying part? Knowing that for a lot of reasons, it will be years before it makes sense for me to own a Tesla.
And, that knowledge has made the latest rhetoric coming from the Biden administration all the more infuriating.
As the Biden administration leverages sanctions against Russia that are raising already inflated fuel prices, the talking points coming from the White House and its defenders sound like a snobbishly elite quote questionably attributed to Marie Antoinette. A key example? As America panics over the fact that fueling their vehicles will be a rapidly increasing line item within the household budget, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg seemed to suggest that we should all just buy electric vehicles (EVs).
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What the Biden administration seems unable to comprehend is that smugly shrugging and telling the American people they should drive electric is one of the worst things they could do for not only their credibility but for advancing EV use nationwide.
After all, we can’t “let them eat cake” the American people into EV use.
I, as an avid supporter of electric vehicle expansion, am still not planning on purchasing an EV for years. I think my reasoning is shared by many:
Supply and demand haven’t met a crosspoint so prices are still wickedly high.
Full-blown charging infrastructure will not be available for years.
Mileage ranges are still limited.
Parts are still incredibly expensive.
And these are just reasons that may be stopping EV supporters from driving electric. When you consider that many Americans are still on the fence or unsupportive of EVs, this seemingly proposed solution from the Biden administration is even more laughable.
Demand will increase, prices will drop, and EVs will become normal vehicles to see out on the road in the coming decades. It is the path of every new innovation. For now, the Biden administration should own their mistakes, accept that the market (not government) will accelerate EV use, and stop touting driving electric as the way to deal with today’s killer fuel prices.