By Matthew Seeman, KSNV, January 22, 2024
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo has joined other Republican governors in calling on the White House to pull back on a proposed mandate for electric vehicle production.
Lombardo is one of 16 Republican governors who signed onto a letter addressed to President Joe Biden, urging him to change course on his administration’s mandate that two of every three vehicles be battery electric by 2032.
They argue that the mandate is unrealistic and costly and would harm consumers, according to the Republican Governors Association.
“The American customer should be able to decide what technology makes most sense for them, not the federal government,” the letter states.
States must have the infrastructure necessary to support electric vehicles, the governors wrote, calling for bolstering the domestic minerals industry.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week sent to the White House its proposal for finalizing emissions cuts for new cars and trucks through 2032, according to Reuters. Under the initial proposal, automakers would produce 60% electric vehicles by 2030 and 67% by 2032 to meet requirements.
Environmental groups support tougher regulations, though automakers have opposed the EPA’s plan. The trade group Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents companies like General Motors and Toyota, said last year the goals are “neither reasonable nor achievable.”