May 15, 2023

The state of New York is intent on eliminating the sale of all new gas powered vehicles in New York by 2035 as expressed in their energy policy. The argument against gas powered vehicles is that they emit exhaust from carbon burning fuels which contribute to so called climate change. As cars, trucks and other heavy equipment are prevalent everywhere, they are the most obvious target. Now there are several questions to ask, Do gas powered vehicles (EV) actually contribute to a change in climate?, What  percentage as a whole do they contribute to climate change? What are the benefits versus  disadvantages? To no one's surprise, New York State has failed to answer these questions and has instead rushed head first into upending the entire electrical grid. In the end there will be higher energy costs, a reduction in available energy, a potential for rolling black outs like in California and limitations on the ability of New York residents to travel effectively in and out of the state. 

Americans have been told that global warming is real and is settled science. The impending change in the climate phenomena started out as global cooling, then global warming and now has become climate change. All the changes in weather from good to bad have been blamed on climate change. The basis asserted for climate change is the emission from the burning of fossil fuels which include power plants, factories, vehicles and other means. For the sake of this discussion, lets stipulate that this premise is true. How much does gas powered vehicles contribute to climate change? An Article from the Cato Institute reported that the US contributes 15% of the world's greenhouse gases with US vehicles contributing toward 16.4% of the total US share or 2.5% in total. Even if all greenhouse gases were stopped immediately, it would take thousands of years to return to preindustrial levels as determined by The Royal Society, the scientific academy of the United Kingdom. If CO2 makes up just .041 percent of the earth's atmosphere and we are to believe the claim that humans are responsible for less than one third of this amount, the total change in temperature from banning all of the world's gas powered vehicles would be beyond negligible. 

If a total ban on gas powered vehicles were to be implemented, the undertaking would be monumental as there are currently 287 million vehicles in the US and 1.4 million electrical vehicles in use. In order to make the switch, the United States would need to totally transform our transportation model. This will require a significant cost to build charging stations which would have to include the more expensive quick charge systems, disperse charging stations closer to each other in areas with colder climates due to battery degradation where the temperature is colder and the incalculable cost to push tens of thousands of gas stations out of business. Fire departments across the United States would need new equipment to fight vehicle battery fires that often burn for hours and are difficult to put out. Parking garages, certain bridges and roadways will need to be retrofitted due to the heavier weight of electrical vehicles. Pedestrian safety will need to be re-examined in light of the stopping time for heavier vehicles which will also include buses and some light trucks. The increased demand on the electrical grid will require a large expansion of the grid at a significant cost. Other forms of transportation that contribute more CO2 cannot be converted to electric due to a lack of feasibility such as planes, ships, most trucks and military equipment. 

The cost to maintain an electrical vehicle may be less expensive in some regards, however all electric vehicles require a replacement battery after 10-12 years of use at a hefty cost of $10,000-$22,000 per battery. The ability to obtain the material to produce the batteries will require America's reliance on our enemies such as China. This will force the United States from being energy independent to energy reliant which will jeopardize our national security. The storage of electric vehicles will lead to more home and commercial fires resulting in higher insurance costs, injuries and deaths. The increase in vehicle batteries which are not recyclable will result in more toxic chemicals in the environment. The inability of electric vehicles to make long trips due to limitations on the distance they can travel, time it takes to recharge the batteries will result in an increased use of airplanes which will end up increasing the use of fossil fuel. Whether using more planes or more electric energy from the grid, this scheme simply transfers energy consumption from being powered directly by gas powered vehicles to fossil fuels indirectly. Therefore it is actually counter-productive and does nothing to solve a questionable problem at best.

There are many other questions not addressed by the proponents of electric vehicles. What is the health risk from being exposed to a constant electro-magnetic field? What happens when there is a electromagnetic pulse event (an EV is even more susceptible than a gas powered vehicle) from a malicious actor excluding an act of war? The increased cost of electric vehicles versus gas powered vehicles will burden the middle class and will have a huge impact on the poor who often rely on cars for their daily transportation. An expected massive jump in the cost of electricity due to the increased demand will lead to a perpetual inflationary cycle which will devastate the American economy. There is also the issue of freedom. The government is us, you and I. No one gave the power to our governmental leaders to ban a legal and highly effective product like gas powered vehicles.

Again the government is off the rails with another reckless policy driven by blind ideology without regard to the cost, feasibility, national security, practicality and the will of the American people. The limitation of their folly will come full circle when the American people reject the switch to electric vehicles once they receive the bill for higher costs without any benefit.