A national survey shows that 55% of Americans don’t believe that electric cars are the solution to high energy prices. | Gustavo Fring/Pexels
A national survey shows that 55% of Americans don’t believe that electric cars are the solution to high energy prices. | Gustavo Fring/Pexels
A national survey shows that 55% of Americans don’t believe that electric cars are the solution to high energy prices, despite claims by Arizona Democrats to the contrary.
The poll was distributed by the Senate Opportunity Fund (SOF) from March 15-17. It surveyed 800 likely voters, 55% of whom disagreed with the idea of urging more electric vehicles. Meanwhile, 38% agreed and 6% had no opinion. In February, Arizona Sen. Victoria Steele said that the Senate had passed two bills that promote electric vehicles and clean-burning fuels, KGUN 9 News reported.
“Electric vehicles are not the way of the future, they're here and now,” she said. “Arizona can’t be left behind as this lucrative and environmentally conscious industry revs up, and we need to clear the way by passing bills like SB 1154 and SB 1152.”
Gas prices are a leading driver of inflation. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), gas prices are up 38% from a year ago.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order in August 2021, which set the goals that half of all new vehicles sold by 2030 will be zero-emissions, and 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations would be deployed in the same period.
Biden’s plan set aside $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and a $2.5-billion competitive grant program, with funding set aside for rural and under-served communities.
In February, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly said that $11.3 million was to be invested in electric vehicle charging stations across Arizona after a new infrastructure bill written by Kelly and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, according to a press release.
“This investment in our electric vehicle charging network will enable cleaner travel and create good-paying jobs. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping us rebuild and grow Arizona’s economy,” Kelly said in a statement on his website.
On March 29, electric vehicle maker VinFast announced plans to build a vehicle and battery manufacturing plant in North Carolina.
"Today’s announcement that the electric vehicle maker VinFast will build an electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facility in North Carolina – $4 billion to create more than 7,000 jobs and hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles and batteries – is the latest example of my economic strategy at work," Biden said in a statement on the White House website.
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