Washington, D.C. — President Biden is expected to sign a new executive order on Thursday to set a target that by 2030, at least 50% of the new vehicles sold in the United States will be zero-emission. The executive order also will include a schedule to develop fuel efficiency and emissions standards for cars and trucks.
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul said:
“The Biden administration is right to take action to encourage the adoption of clean energy vehicles. But it’s not enough to set purchasing targets. We also need to make serious investments to ensure that these vehicles, related supply chains and the infrastructure needed to support them are manufactured in America, too.
“Unfortunately, the United States already is laps behind countries like China when it comes to electric vehicle production. China heavily subsidizes its EV industry and controls the supply of many of the critical minerals and materials to power them, like rare earths. If the U.S. does not make the investments needed to kickstart our own EV industry now, we will lose the race.
“The United States shouldn’t trade foreign oil for Made in China EVs.
“The U.S. auto industry powers our country. It built the Arsenal of Democracy in World War II, and just last year stepped up to make PPE and other needed gear in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot afford to lose it. The EV future is here, and it’s time to get to work to ensure it’s a future that is also Made in America.”
Scott Paul wrote about the EV race in an opinion piece published last month in Real Clear Politics.
A recent study by researchers at Horizon Advisory found that China’s government has deployed a “four-pronged industrial strategy” to dominate the global EV market, including through low-cost domestic production; inflating domestic demand; “bringing in” foreign technology and expertise; and acquiring foreign resources and brands.
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