The midterm elections were a vote of confidence in EVs and the green energy future. Every Senator who voted for the Infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act was returned to the U.S. Senate, as were all but a small handful of U.S. Representatives.
Attention is already turning toward the 2024 election. Speeding the transition to electric vehicles can solve important problems for many voters. High-mileage drivers in lower-income urban, exurban and rural areas often spend more than 15% of their income or more on fueling and maintaining their gasoline-powered cars. This onerous “tax,” much of which goes to oil companies, is a high price to pay just to move about their lives. With generous EV subsidies, ample, accessible EV charging, and robust public education campaigns, millions of gasoline-burdened drivers can switch to EVs, keep more of their hard-earned money, and be insulated from financially destabilizing increases in the price of gasoline.
With smart EV investments and policies bringing relief to those burdened the most by gasoline vehicles, lawmakers can win the support of millions of money-saving EV drivers while accelerating the climate progress demanded by two-thirds of voters.