Fighting for change has never been easy. Plug In America has stood firm in its commitment to electric vehicles through a range of political climates; in fair weather and foul. Over many years, we have pushed both Democratic and Republican administrations to be bold in their support of EVs. And the reason we have been successful is that the case for EVs is strong and bipartisan. The benefits that EVs bring to our energy security, our manufacturing sector, and our economy have not changed at all since last week’s election.
The simple truth is that electric drive is a better technology for moving cars around, and it is getting better every day. Automotive engineers have done an outstanding job with the current generation of EVs and the coming 200-mile generation of vehicles will be even better. Those cars aren’t going away. Battery technology is on a roll – costs are coming down and capabilities are going up faster than anybody imagined. Driven by the promise of electric drive, creativity and disruption have been unleashed within the automobile industry as never before, and that is good for consumers and our economy. We should not out-source our innovation to other countries.
We must not forget that electricity is a 100% domestic source of energy that creates plenty of good-paying jobs and keeps dollars in the country. If the new administration is looking to invest in infrastructure, modernizing the electric grid should be a top candidate for investment dollars.
Most of the policies supporting EVs are at the state level, and the states have not changed. We will continue to work with state policymakers and regulators on strong policies that will accelerate the adoption of these vehicles for all drivers.
From the outset, EVs have been a bipartisan issue. Plenty of legislators from both parties, in states red and blue, drive EVs and are strong EV supporters.The current federal tax credits for EVs and charging infrastructure were both passed by a Republican-led Congress.
EVs have been embraced by Americans of every walk of life, every faith, every state, and every political stripe, and supported by numerous leading companies. This was evident in September, at National Drive Electric Week, which had events in nearly every state and major city across the country. Today, there are more than 530,000 plug in electric vehicles on American roads and dozens of makes and models rolling off the assembly lines.
Just as in the past, we can anticipate that there is a fight ahead for the future of the electric vehicle. It’s never been any different for us. And just as before, whatever comes, Plug In America will continue to serve as the national consumer voice for EVs. So we need your support, now more than ever. Please consider making a special contribution today to show that you stand with us and to demonstrate your continuing strong commitment to EVs.
