130 Congressional Republicans tell Biden to drop his EV mandate

Another front was opened up Thursday in the ongoing pushback against the EPA’s proposed tailpipe emission standards, which are often described as a de facto electric vehicle mandate.

In a letter to the White House, a bicameral coalition of more than 130 Republican lawmakers, led by Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, urged President Joe Biden to drop the standards.

“The reality is that most Americans still prefer the internal combustion engine vehicle, and EPA’s proposed rule unnecessarily restricts consumer choice and forces expensive EVs onto Americans at a time when they can least afford it,” the letter stated.

The lawmakers cite data from the Energy Information Administration that 80% of new vehicles will run on liquid fuels in 2050.

Besides the high purchase price of EVs, the letter points to automakers pulling back their EV targets in the face of slumping sales, protests from dealerships who can’t sell the cars filling up their lots, as well as range issues in cold weather and lack of charging infrastructure.