AllStances™: Should the U.S. Require a Shift to Electric Vehicles in the Coming Years?

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Background

The Biden administration has increasingly been incentivizing citizens to switch to electric vehicles to mitigate the long-term effects of climate change.

In November 2021, Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, providing $7.5 billion in funding to aid these EV-related initiatives and goals. The Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act further incentivized EVs, with investments in EV manufacturing increasing more than 100% in the year following the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. Certain states plan to be more stringent in enforcing the shift to EVs. Biden is seeking to have EVs account for 50% of all new car sales by 2030, and California will require all new cars sold in the state to be electric by 2035. EVs accounted for roughly 9% of auto sales in 2023, according to data from EV Hub, up from 7.3% in 2022.

RELATED: What Climate Change Means to Liberals and Conservatives

Should the government require Americans to shift entirely to electric vehicles in the coming years?

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Stance 1:  Yes, the U.S. Should Require the Shift From Gas Vehicles to EVs

Core Argument: EVs have a smaller carbon footprint than gas cars, they can boost the national economy, and they are more long-term cost-efficient for households.

Better for the Environment

• EVs generally have a smaller carbon footprint than their gasoline counterparts.
• The greenhouse gas emissions by an electric vehicle over its lifetime are typically lower than an average gasoline-powered vehicle.
• The U.S. Department of Energy found that on average, EVs create 3,932 lbs. of CO2 equivalent per year, compared to 11,435 lbs. for gasoline vehicles.
• “Even if EVs relied solely on power plants that burned gasoline they would still produce lower emissions than gas cars.”
• “Health-wise, the main benefit is related to air quality,” according to the EEA. Scientific research in the U.S. has also found that there is a correlation between EVs and a reduction of air pollution that leads to improved health.
• EVs reduce noise pollution, as they generate less noise than a conventional gas car.

Better for the Economy

• Smart EV policy can facilitate the addition of over 150,000 jobs. 
• “On a household level, electric vehicle owners can also expect lower and more stable fueling costs than if they owned a gas-powered vehicle.”
• Governmental tax credits and incentives make the cost of EVs cheaper and more financially attractive for some consumers.
• Electric cars require less frequent oil changes, tune-ups, and brake replacements, saving drivers up to $1,000 a year on maintenance costs.

Better for National Security

• Increases energy independence by “reducing the reliance on imported oil and enhances domestic energy security.”
• “EVs can improve the resilience and reliability of the grid, especially if we put in place commonsense policies and technologies.”

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Stance 2: No, Forcing Americans to Shift to EVs is Unrealistic

Core Argument: EVs are still economically and practically unrealistic for most Americans.

Worse for the Environment

• It’s unclear whether EVs will have a large effect on carbon emissions due to the extensive supply chains needed to acquire the materials for the batteries of EVs in the manufacturing stage. 
• The high demand for lithium and cobalt to fulfill the goal of Americans switching to EVs would most likely bring needless water shortages, Indigenous land grabs, and ecosystem destruction due to the prediction that lithium mining will have to rise by over 40 times by 2040. 

Worse for the Economy

• The left-wing Economic Policy Institute (EPI) estimated that, without substantial government intervention, 75,000 auto manufacturing jobs will be gone by meeting the Biden Administration's goal of 50% of EVs sold by 2030.
• Ford CFO John Lawler said that EVs are “too expensive” for most car buyers.
• Maintenance and replacement costs can be extremely high on EVs.

Worse for National Security

• Our national security could be put at risk when faced with the fact that materials needed for the production of electric vehicles comes almost exclusively from overseas operations in places like China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with only 2% being sourced within the United States. 

Worse for Safety

• Electric vehicles often weigh at least 30% more than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles, thus leading to higher fatality rates in crashes, more wear and tear to roadways, and threats within structures such as parking garages.
• The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is concerned about the safety of firefighters dealing with electric vehicle crashes and fires, explaining that firemen have almost nothing at their disposal to put out the fires. 

Impracticality

• The current public charging network in the US is insufficient to meet the needs of a growing EV market.
• “The role of the government should not be to sell us an electric car.”
• Nearly 3,900 auto dealerships sign a letter urging President Biden to "tap the brakes" on his "unrealistic" targets for electric vehicles.
• Half of U.S. adults say they are not too or not at all likely to consider purchasing an EV.
• Half the country does not have a garage, hampering their ability to charge electric vehicles. 
• Charging an EV often takes a long time, causing inconveniences for people on long drives.
• Range anxiety and imperfections in electric charging stations worry Americans.
• EVs do not provide loud sounds and sustained speed that some Americans find aesthetically pleasing.

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Glossary of Terms

Battery degradation - the gradual deterioration of a battery over time, inhibiting its ability to store and deliver energy

Carbon footprint - the measure of the environmental impact of a product, person, or organization via measuring the output of carbon dioxide

Charging station - electric facility that charges electric vehicles

Climate change - a long-term shift in temperature and weather patterns that is caused by the burning and unsustainable usage of fossil fuels 

Department of Energy - part of the U.S. federal government that oversees national energy policy and production

Economic Policy Institute (Left bias) - non-profit American think tank that looks at the economic impact of policies

Electric range -  The maximum distance an electric vehicle can travel before needing a recharge

Electric Vehicle - a car that draws electricity from a battery as opposed to gasoline and is charged from an external source 

Fossil fuels - a natural fuel formed from old remains of plants and animals such as oil, coal, and natural gas

Gas-powered vehicles - a car that is fueled by gasoline

Hybrid Electric Vehicle - a car that uses both a combustion engine and an electric propulsion system that recharges when the braking system is used

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act - a bipartisan law that allocated $550 billion over 10 years to upgrading and repairing infrastructure in the U.S., signed into law by Joe Biden in November 2021

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - United Nations government body that provides regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation

Range anxiety - concern over the range of an electric vehicle on a single charge and the limited amount of charging stations available

Regenerative braking - a system that utilizes brakes kinetic energy for electrical energy that recharges the vehicle’s battery

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Developed by:

AllSides Editor-in-chief Henry A. Brechter (Center bias)

Bridging and Bias Specialist Clare Ashcraft (Center bias)

Reviewed by:

Content Designer Joseph Ratliff (Lean Left bias)

Bias Analyst Johnathon Held (Lean Right Bias) 

Content Intern Malayna Bizier (Right bias)