A new poll from a conservative free-market group hows that a majority of voters don’t like electric cars because of the subsidies they receive.
“Voters want to make their own decisions about what kind of cars and trucks to buy. And they definitely don’t want to pay for the toys of the rich,” the American Energy Alliance said was the takeaway from the results.
It’s not because voters don’t like the technology. In fact, they have a “generally positive attitude” toward electric cars, according to the poll. But 67 percent of voters “are resistant to the idea that they should pay for people to buy electric vehicles,” according to the polling results reviewed by the Washington Examiner ahead of its release on Tuesday.
[Also read: Record-high 3 million electric cars on the road worldwide in 2017: Report]
“The survey results confirm that, with respect to electric vehicles, most people are unwilling to subsidize the lifestyles of the rich and famous,” said Tom Pyle, president and CEO of the group that did the poll and Trump’s former energy transition chief.
That response refers to the tax subsidies and credits given to electric-car purchasers by state and federal governments. But the problems with electric cars goes beyond subsidies.
Nearly in 7 in 10 respondents, or 69 percent, agreed that electricity customers should not be forced to pay for the cars’ recharging stations.
Another 72 percent said they “did not trust the federal government to make decisions about what kinds of cars or transportation technologies should be subsidized or mandated.” About 80 percent of the respondents indicated they prefer to make their own decisions about what types of cars or fuels they should buy and use.
The poll showed that support for fuel economy standards were weak among voters, as 51 percent of the over 1,000 respondents agreed that “it is unfair that those who purchase larger vehicles subsidize those who purchase smaller cars.” The poll showed that less than half, just 45 percent, favor the fuel economy program implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation.
Pyle said the “results indicate that support for the CAFE mandate is weak.”
The poll was released as the Trump EPA is developing its proposal to lower fuel economy requirements for vehicles through 2025, which would favor sport utility vehicles and light trucks over more fuel-saving cars. It gathered responses from 1,002 likely voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.
Meanwhile, companies and environmental groups announced support for a first-ever electric transportation strategy to expand the market for electric vehicles in the U.S.
The Electrification Accord included automakers, electric utilities, labor groups, consumer advocates, environmental organizations, among others, in signing the Transportation Electrification Accord.
The “first-of-its-kind roadmap” supports a “shared vision for an equitable and prosperous electrified transportation future,” according to a statement.
“It’s clear that the future of transportation will be electric,” said Christopher Budzynski, director of utility strategy for utility giant Exelon. “The Accord provides a baseline from which utility regulators can support growing demand for affordable, electrified transport.”
General Motors, Honda, Proterra, Exelon, NationalGrid, PG&E, Siemens, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Plug In America, and Sierra Club were just some of the companies and groups that signed onto the plan.
