LETTER: Washington must continue to invest in EV technology
New solid state and semi-solid state batteries that can get more than 650 miles on a full charge. Recycling technology that pulls out almost 100 percent of the lithium and other materials in a new process that also limits environmentally harmful byproducts. New megawatt charging technology that can add about 250 miles of range in five minutes in EVs priced about $40,000. And smaller EVs, ideal for urban environments, priced under $20,000.
That’s where EVs currently are, and they are moving forward fast in the world’s largest automobile market. The problem is, that automobile market is China, where almost half of all vehicles sold in 2024 were electrified vehicles, battery-only or hybrids.
Big, gas-guzzling internal combustion engine vehicles such as those sold by General Motors and Ford are no longer viable in China and much of the world is following suit, if in halting steps forward.
China has invested in and subsidized EV development, often unfairly in terms of international free trade. We can take actions that keep Chinese EVs out of the United States, but we are limited in what we can do around the world where China is seizing EV market share in Europe and South America.
We can either support our automakers as they innovate and build electric vehicles, or we can watch them wither on the vine around the world. Congress and the current administration should keep incentivizing electric vehicles and investing in charging infrastructure. Now is not the time to pull back.
