Progressive leaders in eight “dark blue” states who are unhappy with the tiny number of “zero emission vehicles” on the road are joining together on a plan to correct the “problem.”
The Wall Street Journal reports that officials in California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont – states that collectively represent 28 percent of the auto market – will use the old carrot-and-stick routine to increase sales of zero emission vehicles to 3.3 million by 2025.
Zero emission vehicles include those that run on electricity or hydrogen-powered fuel cells, as well as plug-in hybrids, the LATimes.com reports.
Currently, there are 200,000 such vehicles on U.S. roads. Analysts note that demand for zero emission vehicles has been slipping in recent years.
The “carrots” being offered by the states are primarily for consumers: rebates for “green” car purchases, access to car pool lanes, and lower road and bridge tolls. The states will also petition the federal government to continue offering income tax credits for environmentally friendly cars.
While those incentives may appear underwhelming, the “sticks” will be more substantial.
Car dealers will be pressured into promoting “green” cars more aggressively, and businesses will be encouraged to install recharging stations for employees.
More states may even follow California’s lead and set sales quotas for “green” cars on any auto manufacturer that wants access to its markets. This strong-arm tactic has led auto manufacturers to produce zero emission vehicles that few people want, just to be able to sell their other, more popular cars.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, for example, “takes a $14,000 hit on every sale of the electric version of its Fiat 500,” LATimes.com reports.
It’s just common sense to conclude that Fiat Chrysler and the other auto companies are increasing the price of their other cars to recoup some of that lost revenue.
So while the greenies’ obsession with the electric car may seem cute and harmless, it’s actually leading to higher prices, lower profits, and (likely) fewer jobs.
But the environmentalists are okay with Americans being nickeled-and-dimed to death by their policies. After all, the Left’s overall goal is to create a more just and equitable world, because Americans eat too much, drive too much, consume too much and pollute too much.
As conservative talk show host Mark Levin likes to remind his audience, green is the new red.
