CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER. "It would take four times as much electricity to charge the average households cars as the average household uses on air conditioning," Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told Buttigieg at another point in the hearing. Buttigieg said: [The Build Back Better Act] contains incentives to make it more affordable to buy an electric vehicle, up to a $12,500 discount in effect, for families thinking about getting an EV. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. The comment was a reminder to Musk that he has a mutually beneficial relationship with China and a warning not to rock the boat. 2) Without nuclear, where is this electricity going to come from? The topic soon turned to gas prices, which reached record levels in June. Buttigieg's message to drivers is well-timed. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., asked. In most cases, fossil fuels still power electric vehicles. "For the short term, you have had measures like the Strategic Oil Reserve, measures like the flexibility on ethanol, a big part of the reason why you saw gas prices go down so much over the summer. in Detroit that had become a widely seen symbol of the citys decline. In an appearance Tuesday on Fox News, host Neil Cavuto asked Buttigieg what he thought of the comment. Pete Buttigieg responds to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) saying he is trying to "emasculate the way we drive":"I literally don't even understand what that means. Former President Donald Trump had the country on the way to energy independence, but as soon as Biden assumed office, he took detrimental action and canceled the Keystone XL pipeline. We've received your submission. The Panasonic plant will . To put it another way, the issue for Republicans isnt what EV policy would mean for them or the country. Stickers on gas pumps at a Shell Station. Buttigieg testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the transition to "domestic clean energy production" by the Biden administration, which launched an initiative to ensure 50% of all auto sales are electric vehicles by 2030. A Buttigieg administration would work to increase the electric-vehicle tax credit to a maximum of $10,000 per vehicle, with a phase-out schedule based on the percentage of EVs sold per year.. Legal Statement. of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told 60 Minutes correspondent Anderson Cooper that his department is hoping to create a network of 500,000 electric car charging ports around the country. Buttigieg continued saying that if electric vehicles can be made less expensive and less viewed as a luxury item, then people can reap the cost benefits and buy electric vehicles made in. ", NO MORE PARIAH STATE AS BIDEN SEEKS HELP FROM THE SAUDIS AS GAS PRICES SKYROCKET, DEARBORN, MI. The only rival, really, was the 2015 Volt it replaced when its lease ran out. industry, enacted in the hope that it might one day be profitable on its own. Delaware's Joe Biden ultimately won the Democratic . out there, each with different assumptions built into them. Buttigieg and other officials arrived at the Panasonic site after Buttigieg participated in a ribbon-cutting event at the new Kansas City International Airport terminal, which will open to the public on Tuesday. Accessed 30 Nov. 2021. Other critics argued that Buttigiegs approach did not, in fact mean families would never have to worry about gas prices again, or that they would end up having to worry about electricity prices instead. During an interview on Fox News Sunday, Baier asked Buttigieg why Tesla CEO Elon Musk had not been invited to a White House meeting on tailpipe emissions. Currently, the price of nonrenewable fossil fuels including natural gas, coal and oil have risen rapidly in 2021, a situation that those opposing EVs have not accounted for. Our administration together, all of us, is working to make that possibility a reality., Kamala Harris says our transportation sector has reached a turning point to make a transition on energy pic.twitter.com/4UAkYLnwDO, RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 7, 2022. My sense of manhood is not connected to whether or not my vehicle is fueled by gasoline or whether its fueled by electricity., It was a strange thing to say, he added. We're in a transition. Of course, we can do something like that. It's not going to happen overnight. While Buttigieg did indeed use those words, it was in the context of touting an incentives program in the Build Back Better Act that he claims will make buying electric vehicles more affordable to lower income families. If Americans are putting less gas in their cars, then there will be less demand for oil which, in turn, should mean less dependence on the foreign countries that supply it. But put aside Greenes not-even-thinly-disguised homophobia, at least for the moment, and focus on the other part of her quote from Saturday namely, her attacks on EVs. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 10, 2021. All rights reserved. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. To save time charging EVs and extend battery life, many drivers also . 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Buttigieg said the United States will be better off when it's not dependent on fossil fuels-- "a commodity that is largely being produced in foreign dictatorships," he said. A majority of Republican voters (54%) oppose government support of EVs, according to a survey that. He holds a journalism degree from The University of Kansas. Nancy Pelosi said on "Morning Joe" on Tuesday that high gas prices were mostly due to the war in Ukraine. Laura Kellys administration made the plant a key element in her final reelection pitch last fall. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. And it seems to be working: In just the last few weeks, following the IRAs enactment, a, slew of major battery manufacturers and car companies. And it offered Buttigieg, a Biden cabinet official and former Democratic presidential candidate, a chance to trumpet the administrations achievements in a conservative state where President Joe Biden lost to former President Donald Trump 56% to 42% in 2020. (Though the Leaf continues to qualify for the federal electric vehicle incentive, the Bolt does not.). Buttigieg, appearing to respond to. When we're talking about something like electric vehicles, we're talking, again, about a very practical matter, which is how we get from point A to point B. New battery, parts and assembly plants are popping up in states like Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/15/climate/electric-car-cost.html. UC Office of the President: University of California Institute of Transportation Studies, 2019. https://dx.doi.org/10.7922/G2S46Q51 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0x28831g. I knew this might come up so I just pulled a few of the latest pricesa Chevy Voltis $26,595" pic.twitter.com/yNC2A0KlOY. At todays hearing, he told me the White Houses logic was the more pain Americans felt, the better for electric vehicles, Gimenez added. It's something we all ought to be proud of. The "Today" show is now two hosts down after Savannah Guthrie had to leave the set of the show on Tuesday morning. Pete Buttigieg slams Elon Musk's criticism of Biden's EV agenda: 'We believe in the benefits of union jobs' . Opposition to EVs also seems to run deep in the GOP base. On Date July 19, 2022 Buttigieg gets SCHOOLED by off-the-grid Congressman on electric vehicles Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg at a hearing on. Still, a growth industry is a growth industry, and its impossible to look around Michigan and not see the impact. He previously covered the Kansas Statehouse for The Star and Wichita Eagle. Its an evil way of governing.. Altogether, the project is receiving more than $1 billion in local and state incentives. A race hell likely win unfortunately. While Eli David is right to suggest in the tweet above that gas prices may indirectly affect electricity prices in some way, the U.S. is gradually shifting toward renewable sources for electricity, and eventually this argument may become less true over time. Wayland, Michael. Let them buy cars! A headline on Fox News host Sean Hannitys website said in response to the comments, comparing Buttigieg to Marie Antoinette (who, according to legend, said of the starving peasants in France, "Let them eat cake!"). The Chevy Bolt lineup received a massive price cut last month, dropping from $31,000 to $25,600. Industry officials have acknowledged that while EVs may save drivers money over time, their high upfront costs put them out of reach for many drivers in the United States. RNC Research, a Twitter account managed by the Republican National Committee, claimed that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg bragged in a recent interview that "high gas prices are forcing people to electric vehicles": . As Americans struggle to afford a tank of gas or a cart full of groceries, most of them do not have $56,000 laying around to spend on a new car. In the distance, excavators and heavy equipment were already at work. For Americans angry at Bidens energy policies which critics claimed seem to have followed through on his campaign promise to get Americans off fossil fuels Buttigiegs statements added insult to injury. Another $4,500 tax credit can be added if the vehicle was assembled with domestic union labor. According to Kelly Blue Book, the average price of a new electric vehicle as of June was $66,997 13.7% more than last year compared to $26,211 for a new compact car. "Prices and Factors Affecting Prices." (REUTERS/Yves Herman), NEWT GINGRICH: CLIMATE IDEALOGUES FULLY PREPARED TO PUNISH AMERICANS. Greene. "And, again, it's one of the reasons why you saw the president act so aggressively to bring gas prices down, make it easier for Americans to afford gas, because most Americans are driving a gas-powered car. Accessed 30 Nov. 2021. "Clean transportation can bring significant cost savings for the American people as well. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 10, 2021. Alternative Fuels Data Center, https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/natural_gas_basics.html. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Maybe the most visible symbol is the resurrection of the old, towering and long-abandoned Michigan Central Station in Detroit that had become a widely seen symbol of the citys decline. Policy firm Energy Innovation summarized the incentives as follows: $12,500 max incentive per passenger vehicle, combining: It can be frustrating in Washington to see some people willing to take potshots at good jobs for their own constituents by opposing EV manufacturers, Buttigieg said. Legal Statement. "Again, the things that I have seen, whether it's what I saw at the Detroit Auto Show a couple of weeks ago when I was there with the president, or what you see Tesla and these newer companies doing, it's really extraordinary. (We leased the 2018 model as well, but loved it so much we decided to buy it outright when that lease was up.). 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Accessed 30 Nov. 2021. One quote of his was picked up by numerous critics, including conservatives, who accused him of being out of touch. CNN struggled historically across the board during the month of February as one program saw its lowest viewership since 2005. The Panasonic plant will produce lithium ion batteries. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. ", Breanne Deppisch, Energy and Environment Reporter, Jackson and conservative justices form unlikely alliance in Supreme Court opinions, Jimmy Carter's marathon enters its home stretch, Student borrowers advocate Biden debt relief program amid Supreme Court battle, Trump and DeSantis attend dueling Republican conferences as GOP primary field heats up, China will target the US homeland in war over Taiwan, Army leader predicts, Users recoil at new iPhone feature that slows charging when clean energy isn't used. Do you think it would strain the grid if everybodyplugged in 25 refrigerators in every household? Massie asked. "Gasoline Explained." The more pain we are all experiencing from the high price of gas, the more benefit there is for those who can access electric vehicles, Buttigieg told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee just before asking Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) to reconsider opposing the reduction of EV upfront prices with tax credits.. "The cruelty is the point," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, tweeted. The federal infrastructure law, approved by Congress and signed into law by Biden in 2021, is providing billions to encourage electric vehicle manufacturing and prepare the country for their widespread use. According to the Kelley Blue Book number cited by Perry, the average cost of an electric vehicle stands at $56,437 roughly $10,000 more than the industry average. The Inflation Reduction Act, the spending bill that Biden signed over the summer, included new tax credits for people who purchase EVs as well as businesses that open up charging stations. New car sales for gas and electric-powered cars are high and hot right now. David Toland, who leads the Kansas Department of Commerce, have pointed to the thousands of anticipated jobs at the plant, which could transform western Johnson County into a hub of manufacturing activity, and the overall boost to the states economy as suppliers gear up for the plan. And its not just Michigan where EVs have potential to create jobs or anchor growth. All Rights Reserved. The Infrastructure Bill in Action. MSNBC.Com, 28 Nov. 2021. https://www.msnbc.com/the-sunday-show/watch/the-infrastructure-bill-in-action-127353925939. As every day Americans face record gas prices and surging inflation, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg suggested they should simply shell out tens of thousands of dollars for a new car. Accessed 30 Nov. 2021. Although Buttigieg boasted that electric vehicles could be cheaper for U.S. citizens than paying for gas, average prices for them were reported around $50,000. "So youre saying the more pain we have, the more benefit were gonna get?" Part of HuffPost Politics. Nancy Pelosi said on "Morning Joe" on Tuesday that high gas prices were mostly due to the war in Ukraine. Greene has been critical of this effort from the get-go, and in February posted a 21-part tweetstorm calling the Biden plan which, at that point, was still under discussion a one way ticket to hell.. In terms of pricing, an EV is equivalent to an entry-level luxury car. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stunned a Republican member of Congress Tuesday by asking him to help subsidize electric vehicle purchases while millions of Americans struggle to fill up their gas-powered cars. Buttigieg: Families Who Buy Electric Vehicles Never Have to Worry about Gas Prices Again. The Hill, 29 Nov. 2021, https://thehill.com/dem-lawmakers/583325-buttigieg-electric-vehicle-owners-never-have-to-worry-about-gas-prices-again. - $4,500 for vehicles with final assembly in the U.S. at a union facility (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File). Lauren DeCicca / Getty Images; Justin Sullivan / Getty Images. The catastrophic 3 February derailment of a nearby train . WARREN, Mich. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was in the Detroit area last Saturday, as part of the road show that former President Donald Trump brings to his political rallies these days. In November 2021, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg generated controversy by saying that using electric vehicles would allay concerns families have over rising gas prices. This is a clear attempt to use a crisis for political benefit, and it is made worse by the fact that the crisis itself was largely caused by the Biden administration. Republicans sparred with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over the cost of electric vehicles on Tuesday as some members of the House Transportation Committee accused him of favoring the vehicles as the response to high gas costs. But a major goal of the Inflation Reduction Act incentives is to bring battery production into the U.S., by limiting tax credits for EV purchases to only those vehicles whose parts come largely from the U.S. and whose final assembly took place in North America. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sits inside a fuel cell powered car at the Toyota boothat the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan on September 14, 2022. Although Buttigieg boasted that electric vehicles could be cheaper for U.S. citizens than paying for gas, average prices for them were reported around $50,000. Our society is sick., The Biden administration has made support for EVs a top priority. President Biden himself hailed high gas prices in May by saying they were part of an incredible transition that is taking place that, God willing, when its over, well be stronger and the world will be stronger and less reliant on fossil fuels.. All rights reserved. Not all of us make $221,400 a year to rush off onto maternity to chestfeed babies, declare highways racist and ignore supply chain crises like you. - $3,500 for vehicles purchased before January 2027 Pramuk, Jacob. They want to make it political. Of course no, Buttigieg chuckled as Gimenez said: I think thats what I heard you say., No, no, the laughing transportation secretary insisted. released in August. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. The U.S. Department of Transportation in September also approved a 50-state electric vehicle infrastructure deployment plan that provides states with access to up to $5 billion in funds over the next five years to build a network of charging stations covering 75,000 miles of highway. Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. During the hearing Tuesday, Buttigieg also said Transportation Department officials are working with the Department of Energy to help better source some of the elements that go into electric vehicle batteries, the vast majority of which are produced in China. But the appeal of EVs goes beyond fuel efficiency. Buttigieg also on Tuesday defended the administrations goal of having half of all vehicles on the market be electric by 2030, as Republicans questioned whether the countrys energy grid could handle the transition. By suggesting Americans should solve their money issues by just spending more money, Harris and Buttigieg showed just how out of touch this administration is with its constituents. Accessed 30 Nov. 2021. Accessed 30 Nov. 2021. The IRS allows for an electric drive motor vehicle credit right now. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. Transportation fuel or gasoline is primarily made from petroleum which generated less than one percent of U.S. electricity in 2020. Accessed 30 Nov. 2021. However, the lower-cost models, such as the ones mentioned by Buttigieg, offer a comparably more affordable option for some drivers looking to make the switch. It tweeted, "Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg brags about how high gas prices are forcing people to electric vehicles. MAY 18, 2021 -- President Joe Biden and Linda Zhang, Fords chief engineer, F-150 Lightning, with the all-new, all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning. At one point, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) noted a studyindicating that under full compliance, an American family would use 25 times more electricity for their cars than to power their refrigerators. As Biden told reporters, This suckers quick!. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will speak about electric vehicles on Monday in a day-long trip to the Kansas City area that will . Pete Buttigieg, as mayor of South Bend, Indiana in 2020, was about as much a Washington outsider as they come when he ran for president. Buttigieg: Electric Vehicles Could Be 'Very Useful' During a Power Outage. We are bringing EV costs down and the number of jobs in EV manufacturing up at the same time. Copyright 2023 The Western Journal. So, if the United States of America can't execute a transition like this over the course of more than a decade, I don't know what to tell you. Figures like that dont tell the full story of how growth in the EV business will affect employment, obviously. The Biden administration has made support for EVs a top priority. Greenes disturbing history of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has been catalogued by the GLAAD Accountability Project. I literally dont even understand what that means, Buttigieg replied. And at the moment, EV production is heavily dependent on a different foreign input: batteries, the vast majority of which come from. and a gas-powered car is $19,000! Buttigieg then reiterated that the "pain" at the pump could be offset by using an electric vehicle. "Well, I actually think this is a great example of one of the many benefits of those tools," Buttigieg said: "I was just at the Detroit Auto Show a couple of weeks ago. ", Author Denise McAllister warned voters to remember Buttigiegs statement when he runs for President of the United States, a prospect she lamented. Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to the MRC are tax-deductible. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was slammed on Twitter for "bragging" about ways to get "most Americans" to use electric vehicles. Grant is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Buttigieg was among a host of officials who descended upon the old Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in western Johnson County to survey the vast field of dirt where the $4 billion plant that is expected to employ 4,000 people will one day stand. 1 requirement to sign up. "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)." You know, to be honest, there are other members of Congress that I pay more attention to when Im thinking about opinions that really matter or ideas that are going to be critical to engage with., Transportation Sec. Yeah, thats what I heard you say, the lawmaker insisted. During a White House event on Monday to discuss "clean transit," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and VP Kamala Harris said that Americans are concerned about high gas prices should buy electric cars. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert / YouTube screen shot. have announced they are opening new plants in the U.S. One other reason I feel good about my car is that I live in Michigan and it was built at GMs Hamtramck plant, which is, . Jenn, A., Lee, J., Hardman, S., & Tal, G. "An Examination of the Impact That Electric Vehicle Incentives Have on Consumer Purchase Decisions Over Time."