Biden Is Coming for Your Truck – WSJ
This week s Environmental Protection Agency tailpipe rule amounts to an imminent ban on gasoline-powered cars, never mind the soothing language of incentivizing a transition. Last year, 84% of all cars sold in America were powered by internal-combustion engines. By 2027, the government will restrict that share to 64%. In eight years, the cap will be 29%. High demand for the few gasoline vehicles still made at that point will drive up prices, making them unattainable to anyone but a limousine liberal. It s a ban.
It s also political malpractice. As he often has, Mr. Biden is dancing to the tune of a very loud if notably small progressive constituency in this case, the climate lobby. It is made up largely of affluent city-dwellers a white-collar elite. Climate is their First World problem, and they are going to vote for Mr. Biden anyway.
Who else approves? The White House will point to a cheerleading automotive industry, but peek behind the pom-poms and you see an administration with a gun to carmakers heads. Ford and
can either beg politely for more subsidies or confront reality and express disapproval, in which case they ll get nothing. The United Auto Workers leadership stuck with its Biden endorsement dug deep to produce a few words expressing support, bracketed by hundreds more explaining that when all this goes wrong for its members it will somehow be Wall Street s fault.
Arrayed against this coalition is everyone else. The White House press release touting its historic progress in electric cars struggled to quote any powerful players beyond the Environmental Defense Fund and Al Gore. Auto dealers still powerful political players in many congressional districts are actively campaigning against the rule, and more than 5,000 recently sent a letter to the White House decrying the rule as completely unrealistic. Manufacturers think it s nuts. State attorneys general are gearing up to sue.
via www.wsj.com
Never interrupt your enemy when they’re trying to take away people’s trucks.