10 Things You Should Know About California’s Car Ban

August 30, 2022

Late last week, California regulators approved a ban on gasoline-powered vehicles by the year 2035. The ban is unrealistic and a major overreach. 

There is no doubt that California is influential. The Golden State has the fifth largest economy in the world, and one in eight U.S. residents call the state home. Unfortunately, the 2035 car ban is starting to seep out to other states. Already, as many as 17 other states are looking to follow California down this disastrous road. If this mandate is not stopped, Americans will suffer the consequences.

Families struggling with massive inflation will feel more pressure if states continue to follow California’s wrong turn. Below are 10 reasons why: 

1.EVs are powered by fossil fuels. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), fossil fuel-based power plants—coal, oil, or natural gas—create about 60 percent of the nation’s electrical grid, while nuclear power accounts for nearly 20 percent. 

2. The batteries of EVs rely on cobalt. An estimated 70 percent of the global supply of cobalt emanates from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country with deplorable working conditions, especially for children. 

3. A study released earlier this year by an environmental group showed nearly 1/3 of San Francisco’s electric charging stations were non-functioning. The population of San Francisco represents roughly two percent of California.

4. Supporters of the California law admit there will be a 40 percent increase in demand for electricity, adding further strain to the grid and requiring increased costs for power and infrastructure.

5. According to one researcher, the strain of adding an EV is similar to adding “1 or 2 air conditioners”  to your home, except an EV requires power year-round.

6. Today, 20 million American families, or 1 in 6 have fallen behind on their electric bills, the highest amount ever.

7. Utility companies will need to add $5,800 in upgrades for every new EV for the next 8 years in order to compensate for the demand in power. All customers will shoulder this cost.

8. The average price for an electric vehicle is currently $66,000, up more than 13 percent in just the last year, costing an average of more than the average combustible engine. Meanwhile, the median household income is $67,521. The average for African American families is $45,870, and Hispanic households are $55,321.

9. A 2022 study found that the majority of EV charging occurs at home, leaving those who live in multi-family dwellings (apartments) at a real disadvantage for charging.

10. The same study also noted that many charge their EVs overnight when solar power is less available on the grid.