In a Substack article Alex Epstein responds to the Biden administration’s plan to require 67% of new cars sold in the US by 2030 to be electric, calling it an unconstitutional overreach of executive power. Epstein argues that the plan violates the separation of powers by effectively legislating from the White House, and that it is also a violation of the 10th Amendment, which reserves to the states all powers not specifically granted to the federal government.
Epstein points out that the cost of electric cars is still significantly higher than the cost of gasoline-powered cars. The infrastructure needed to support a mass-market of electric cars is not yet in place and the newly announced plan will lead to higher prices for consumers and job losses in the auto industry. He argues that the plan is unfair to rural Americans because electric cars have a shorter range than gasoline-powered cars; EV’s are not as well-suited for use in rural areas where there are fewer charging stations. The plan will make it more difficult for rural Americans to get around, and this will further exacerbate the urban-rural divide.
Finally, Epstein concludes by calling on Congress to reject Biden’s plan as it is unconstitutional, economically unsound, and unfair to rural Americans. He calls on Congress to protect the rights of states and consumers, and to ensure that the future of transportation is decided by the people, not by the president.