(RoyalPatriot.com )- Americans are feeling a lot of pain every time they have to go to a gas station to re-fill their car. While gas prices are starting to come down, they are still extremely high on average across the nation.
On Tuesday, Pete Buttigieg, the failed presidential candidate and the current Transportation Secretary, told members of Congress that he has a solution for Americans: Purchase electric vehicles.
Buttigieg’s comments came during testimony he gave to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee earlier this week. It’s all part of the Biden administration’s apparent victory lap they’re taking since gas prices are starting to come down.
That, of course, completely ignores the fact that gas prices are almost 90% higher now than they were when Biden entered the White House in early 2021. Still, the president said the “actions are working” as “prices are coming down.”
In his testimony to the House committee, Buttigieg said that the high gas prices are going to convince more people in the U.S. to seek out alternatives. He said:
“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.”
Republican Florida Representative Carlos Gimenez then asked Buttigieg to clarify whether he meant that the more pain Americans experience with high gas prices, the more they would benefit from electric vehicles. Buttigieg responded:
“Of course — no, no, that’s what you heard me say. I know you want me to say it’s so bad but honestly, sir, what we’re saying is we could have no pain at all by making EVs cheaper for everyone.”
That, of course, is the rub to all of this — electric vehicles are not cheap. In fact, compared to vehicles that run on regular gas, they aren’t affordable at all. They are more akin to a luxury vehicle in terms of price.
So, in other words, EVs are simply not attainable for the many Americans who are struggling with the increased price of gas at the pump.
Still, Buttigieg and the Biden administration are sticking to their guns, saying there are immense benefits to people buying EVs as gas prices are so high. He said:
“The people who stand to benefit most from owning an EV are often rural residents who have the most distances to drive, who burn the most gas, and underserved urban residents in areas where there are higher gas prices and lower income.
“They would gain the most by having that vehicle. These are the very residents who have not always been connected to electric vehicles that are viewed as kind of a luxury item.”
So, what is the Biden administration doing to make these electric vehicles more affordable and more realistic for these people, and, in fact, all Americans?
Nothing, really. The Biden administration has a goal of reaching an adoption level of 50% for electric vehicles by 2030. But, that seems out of touch with reality unless something significant is done to lower the price of those vehicles.
While gas certainly is expensive right now, so, too, would purchasing/financing an expensive electric vehicle and then paying more for in-home electricity when you need to charge it.
If the Biden administration wants to make a case for financial savings with electric vehicles, they should provide better information about how the extra costs for the vehicle and the electricity would be outweighed by the savings from not having to fill the car with gas.
