Would you like your next car to be gas-powered or electric? Many in Washington want to eliminate that choice. New federal regulations issued by the Biden-Harris Administration already sharply limit gas-powered car sales. Kamala Harris has proposed banning gas-powered car sales altogether. This would hurt drivers — and devastate the economy, especially in Michigan and the industrial Midwest.
The Biden-Harris Administration’s offensive against gas-powered cars has been years in the making. The Environmental Protection Agency just finalized rules restricting carbon dioxide emissions from cars. Gas-powered vehicles cannot physically comply with the regulations; these standards are designed to force automakers to “transition” to electric vehicles (EVs). The Biden-Harris Administration estimates the rules limit gas-powered cars to one-third of U.S. vehicle sales. Since two-thirds of Americans want their next car to run on gas, that math doesn’t work.
Vice President Kamala Harris has supported even more restrictive policies. As a senator, she co-sponsored the Zero Emissions Vehicles Act, legislation that banned sales of both gas-powered cars and hybrids by 2040. Drivers could only choose fully electric vehicles. Then, during her 2020 presidential bid, she promised to move up the gas and hybrid ban to 2035. Harris has declined to respond to questions about whether she still supports these proposals, giving an official response of “no comment” to reporters’ queries. That silence speaks volumes to what she would do from the Oval Office.
Drivers would suffer if Washington forced them to buy EVs. While electric cars have real advantages, they also have downsides, with shorter ranges, longer charging times, and limited charging infrastructure.
Some drivers weigh the trade-offs and happily go electric. Others find conventional vehicles work best for them. Notably, half of EV buyers return to gas-powered cars for their next vehicle. EVs work for many, but they aren’t for everyone. The Biden-Harris EV mandate will force many Americans to buy cars they would not otherwise choose.
EV mandates — much less a gas-powered car ban — will be economically costly. Tesla appears to be the only auto manufacturer who knows how to produce EVs profitably. Other manufacturers are losing billions on the transition. Ford, for example, lost nearly $5 billion selling EVs last year, or $65,000 per vehicle.
The consequences for workers will be equally significant. EVs have fewer parts and require less labor to produce than gas-powered vehicles. While conventional vehicles have around 2,000 moving parts in their powertrains, Tesla EV drivetrains, for example, have just 17. As a result, EVs need 30% to 40% fewer workers to assemble than gasoline-powered cars. They also do not need any of the workers who currently build engine and transmission parts. Forcing Americans to transition to EVs means many auto workers will lose their jobs. This is why the United Auto Workers’ research director has warned that “electric, to me, is where the real risk is to our membership.”
Our research shows that, if the next administration does not repeal the Biden-Harris EV mandate, it will eliminate over 120,000 existing auto manufacturing jobs nationwide. Job losses would be even higher under Harris’s proposed ban on gas and hybrid vehicles. In that case, nearly 200,000 existing auto manufacturing jobs would disappear. The Midwest is the heart of America’s auto industry. It would thus bear the brunt of these job losses.
Under a best-case scenario — assuming General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis/Chrysler do not lose market share to Tesla — Michigan would still lose 37,000 auto manufacturing jobs from a gas-car ban. More than 20,000 workers in Indiana and Ohio would also get pink slips. As Lawrence Burns, former vice president for research and development at General Motors, told reporters, “If you play this out in a five- to 10-year time frame, employment ramifications for states like Michigan and regions like southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio are really going to be a big deal.”
Washington, D.C. is trying to force Americans to go electric. Vice President Harris has further proposed federally banning gas-powered car sales. This would leave many Americans with cars that don’t fit their needs, as well as many workers and their communities behind. American drivers—not the government — should be the ones to decide what cars they drive.
