Buttigieg: Industry 'Moving Towards EVs' But We Can't Let 'Economically Smart Play' 'Happen on Its Own Pace'

On Tuesday's broadcast of the Fox News Channel's “America Reports,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that “the automotive sector is moving towards EVs” and China pushed for an advantage in the EV market “because that's the economically smart play” but “we can't just sit back and let this happen on its own pace” because there's a competition between the U.S. and China.

Co-host John Roberts asked, “Tesla sales fell 8.5% the first quarter of this year, Ford, this week, is laying off two-thirds of its workforce at the F-150 electric Lightning plant, it's also scaling back a battery production facility because of sagging sales. EV sales are nowhere near what this president wanted or expected. Yet, the administration continues to shove them down consumers' throats. Why?”

Buttigieg responded, “Well, let's be clear, consumers have wanted and purchased more EVs every single year than the year before. And Tesla is facing more competition as GM and Ford and Stellantis and other competitive players start to make sure they get a piece of the EV market. Let's be clear that the automotive sector is moving towards EVs, and we can't pretend otherwise. … During the Trump administration, China was really able to build an advantage in the EV market, and obviously not because they're big environmentalists over in China, just because that's the economically smart play. We've been working to make sure that that advantage comes back onto American soil.”

He added that the EV push is “not premature, because more Americans, every single year, choose electric than the year before. And if you look at the surveys, it is extremely rare for anybody who has gone electric to want to go back to the old gas car technology. Now, look, to be clear, it's not for everybody, and it's not happening overnight. Our goal is, by the end of this decade, we're about half and half with new car sales. But the reason we can't just sit back and let this happen on its own pace is that there is a race going on. Either China or the United States will dominate the EV future, we want to make sure it's the United States.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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