COLTURA’S TAKE ON THE 2022 MIDTERMS

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.

• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, reelected by a 10-point margin, released a climate plan earlier this year targeting two million EVs in Michigan by 2030, which can only be achieved by ramping up to nearly 100% of new vehicles being electric by 2030.
• All of the legislators on the ballot in Washington State who voted for a state target for 100% of new cars being EVs by 2030 were reelected, while several of the measure’s opponents were defeated.
• In New York, EV booster Gov. Kathy Hochul was reelected.
• Clean energy supporter Katie Hobbs won a hard-fought victory for governor in Arizona.
• EV advocates also made gains in the Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania legislatures.

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.