electric car bak

519<div>
</div><div> interesting that wind and electric cars seem to get more than their share of BS vitriol  target 419 on subsidy fight // solar/wind? see tesla, musk getting tony stark cache?
  =<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/05/09/koch-funded-groups-still-begging-congress-kill-electric-car-tax-credit">https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/05/09/koch-funded-groups-still-begging-congress-kill-electric-car-tax-credit</a> coalition of free market advocacy groups, led by former <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/thomas-pyle" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Koch Industries lobbyist</a>, urged Congress on Thursday not to extend the electric vehicle (EV) tax credit. In a <a href="https://www.eenews.net/assets/2019/05/09/document_gw_06.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">letter</a> rife with easily discredited and false statements, this coalition sent its plea to the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.Most of the 34 groups are funded by the petrochemical billionaire Koch brothers’ donor network or have ties to <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/koch-industries-inc" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Koch Industries</a>. And most of the references cited in the letter have clear, demonstrable ties to Koch Industries and Koch funding.The episode echoes a <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/09/27/koch-funded-groups-again-speak-out-against-electric-vehicle-tax-credits" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">similar sequence from last September</a>, when many of the same groups sent a comparable letter after Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and others introduced the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=merkley+electric+car+act&oq=merkley+electric+car+act&aqs=chrome..69i57.3453j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Electric Cars Act of 2018</a>.The letter is further evidence of this network of Koch-affiliated groups <a href="http://kochvsclean.com/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ramping up their opposition to the EV tax credit</a>.“The American Energy Alliance (AEA) has organized a coalition to proclaim in one unified voice that there should be no expansion of the misguided electric vehicle tax credit,” <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2019/05/09/tesla-government-subsidies/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Tom Pyle, president of the AEA and a former lobbyist for Koch Industries, wrote in a statement, first published by The Daily Caller News Foundation</a>, which has <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/daily-caller" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">received more than $2.6 million from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation since 2013</a>. (That article, it’s worth mentioning, was published at 5:10 am EDT on Thursday, before the letter could have been delivered. Evidently, the Koch-funded think tanks gave the Koch-funded website an advance copy.)<h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">Which Koch-Tied Groups Signed the Anti-EV Letter?</h3>The letter fails to disclose that most of the signatory groups depend on funding from the oil and gas industries, or specifically from the Koch brothers’ petrochemical refining businesses — industries that electric cars threaten the most.DeSmog laid out the Koch connections to many of these signatories <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/09/27/koch-funded-groups-again-speak-out-against-electric-vehicle-tax-credits" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">last September</a>. Some notable additions to this coalition are failed Federal Reserve Board nominee <a href="https://www.heritage.org/staff/stephen-moore" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Stephen Moore</a> and Wayne Winegarden, the author of a <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/pacific-research-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Pacific Research Institute</a>study that is often cited in attacks on electric cars.Here’s the full list of signatories:<ul style="margin: 1.5em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px;"><li><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/thomas-pyle" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Tom Pyle</a>, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-energy-alliance-aea" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">American Energy Alliance</a></li><li>Bethany Marcum, <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Alaska_Policy_Forum" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Alaska Policy Forum</a></li><li>Lisa Nelson, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-legislative-exchange-council" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ALEC Action</a></li><li>Phil Kerpen, <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Commitment" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">American Commitment</a></li><li>Rick Manning, <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Talk:Americans_for_Limited_Government" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Americans for Limited Government</a></li><li>David T. Stevenson, <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Caesar_Rodney_Institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Caesar Rodney Institute</a></li><li>Andrew F. Quinlan, <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Center_for_Freedom_and_Prosperity" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Center for Freedom and Prosperity</a></li><li>Jeffrey Mazzella, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/05/03/climate-denial-firm-trump-dakota-access-keystone-xl" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Center for Individual Freedom</a></li><li><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/isaac-orr" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Isaac Orr</a>, <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Center_of_the_American_Experiment" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Center of the American Experiment</a></li><li><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mark-mathis" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Mark Mathis</a>, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/clear-energy-alliance" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Clear Energy Alliance</a></li><li>David McIntosh, Club for Growth</li><li><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/caleb-rossiter" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Caleb Rossiter</a>, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/co2-coalition" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">CO2 Coalition</a></li><li>Stephen Moore, Committee to Unleash Prosperity</li><li><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/myron-ebell" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Myron Ebell</a>, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/competitive-enterprise-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Competitive Enterprise Institute</a></li><li>Matthew Kandrach, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/consumer-action-strong-economy" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Consumer Action for a Strong Economy</a></li><li><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/craig-richardson" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Craig Richardson</a>, E&E Legal</li><li>Mandy Gunasekara, Energy 45 Fund</li><li>Annette Meeks, Freedom Foundation of Minnesota</li><li>Jason Pye, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/freedomworks" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">FreedomWorks</a></li><li>George Landrith, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/frontiers-freedom" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Frontiers of Freedom</a></li><li><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/tim-huelskamp" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Tim Heulskamp</a>, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/heartland-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">The Heartland Institute</a></li><li><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/heritage-foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Tim Chapman, Heritage Action for America</a></li><li><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/amy-oliver-cooke" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Amy Oliver Cooke</a>, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/independence-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Independence Institute</a></li><li><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/MacIver_Institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Brett Healy, The John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy</a></li><li>Kory Swanson, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/john-locke-foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">John Locke Foundation</a></li><li>Seton Motley, Less Government</li><li>Jason Hayes, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/mackinac-center-public-policy" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Mackinac Center for Public Policy</a></li><li><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/harry-c-alford" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Harry C. Alford</a>, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/national-black-chamber-commerce" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">National Black Chamber of Commerce</a></li><li><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/National_Tax_Limitation_Committee" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Kirk Uhler, National Tax Limitation Committee</a></li><li>Wayne Winegarden,<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/pacific-research-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;"> Pacific Research Institute</a></li><li>Bette Grande, Roughrider Policy Center</li><li><a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Taxpayers_Protection_Alliance" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">David Williams, Taxpayers Protection Alliance</a></li><li>John Tintera, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers</li><li>Kevin Roberts, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/texas-public-policy-foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Texas Public Policy Foundation</a></li></ul><h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">The Koch-Funded Citations in the American Energy Alliance EV Tax Credit Letter to Congress</h3>The letter pushes many variations of the same debunked talking point — <a href="https://www.kochvsclean.com/electric-car-tax-credit-facts/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">that the EV tax credit only benefits the rich</a>. To support this claim, they cite four studies or reports and one poll. Three of those studies were funded by Koch money, and the poll was paid for by the American Energy Alliance, and conducted by a Koch lobbyist. One by one:<h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">Citation: American Energy Alliance, ”<a href="https://www.americanenergyalliance.org/2018/06/new-survey-voters-still-find-vehicle-subsidies-unfair/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">New Survey: Voters (Still) Find Vehicle Subsidies 'Unfair'</a>”</h3>Quote: “Subsidies for electric vehicles are unpopular.”Reality: This classic push poll was commissioned by the Koch-funded American Energy Alliance and conducted by <a href="https://littlesis.org/org/24072/Mwr_Strategies" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">MWR</a><a href="https://littlesis.org/org/24072/Mwr_Strategies" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Strategies</a>, a lobbying firm with clients including Koch Industries and the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-fuel-petrochemical-manufacturers-afpm" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers</a>. See <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/06/20/american-energy-alliance-poll-koch-tom-pyle-electric-vehicles" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">DeSmog’s earlier coverage of this poll</a>.<h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">Citation: <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/pacific-research-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Pacific Research Institute</a>, “Government Electric Car Subsidies Are ‘Costly Subsidies for the Rich,' Finds New Study”</h3>Quote: “Subsidies for electric vehicles overwhelmingly benefit the rich. A recent study found that 79 percent of electric vehicle tax credits were claimed by households with an adjusted gross income of more than $100,000 a year.”Reality: This “recent” study relies solely on data from 2014 to make the claim, and doesn’t factor in the roll of leased electric cars, which outnumber sales, rendering the findings essentially meaningless. For <a href="https://www.kochvsclean.com/electric-car-tax-credit-facts/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">more background on this deceptive study and talking point here, check out this Koch vs Clean EV Facts page</a>.<h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">Citation: <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/manhattan-institute-policy-research" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Manhattan Institute</a>, “Short Circuit: The High Cost of Electric Vehicle Subsidies”</h3>Quote: “Electric vehicles are not cleaner than modern internal combustion engines. As explained in a recent study from the Manhattan Institute, new internal combustion engines combined with low-sulfur gasoline emit barely any pollution.”Reality: By cherry-picking data, disregarding greenhouse gas emissions, and conducting analysis based on discredited assumptions, the study's author Jonathan Lesser actually claims that widespread adoption of electric cars would increase air pollution and have a negligible impact on the global climate. <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/short-circuit-high-cost-electric-vehicle-subsidies-jonathan-lesser-debunked" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">DeSmog has more on this often-debunked study</a>.<h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">Reference: NERA, “Economic Impacts of Eliminating the Manufacturers’ Cap on the Plug-In Electric Vehicle Tax Credit”</h3>Quote: “Expanding the electric vehicle tax credit will be a net harm to consumers.”Reality: This “study” was literally commissioned by a subsidiary of Koch Industries called Flint Hill Resources. (NERA also produced a key report defending the tobacco industry, paid for by Phillip Morris, in the 1990s.) <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/12/06/koch-commissioned-nera-study-aims-kill-electric-vehicle-tax-credit" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">DeSmog covered this study’s release last November</a>.To recap: a bunch of groups funded by the Kochs' petroleum refining fortunes are fighting against the policy that poses the biggest threat to petroleum refining, using references to reports and studies and polls also paid for by the Kochs' oil money.Let's hope Congress remembers to check the references and consider the sources. <ul><li>Right-wing outlets like The Wall Street Journal editorial page are touting <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=e9e94d47ce4553bf68facf64c089738dbf262141cb45bae6ef880da66fb8e4dd951d4447686820efc55aad792fab8287bb9eb3ba25ca1171" title="a deeply flawed new study">a deeply flawed new study</a> attacking electric vehicles.</li><li>Trump Fed pick Stephen Moore <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=e9e94d47ce4553bffc7f738725d96fbf6d6b473ae19e4aff27fdb8a5abb22bd09a181e7a284cc137057429555ed61f040c066237b80829bf" title="repeatedly said">repeatedly said</a> that he liked working at Fox News because he met "a lot of beautiful women" there. Moore has <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=e9e94d47ce4553bfc8f4abae3949312f74d01c0de2e3cacc24fab61ddd4e601c0c6701e67a7bc526899029bf50717bc889192ed50751edc1" title="also praised">also praised</a> slave-owning Confederate general Robert E. Lee and hates climate science so much that he <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=e9e94d47ce4553bf24d2d13c2861879f464669ae1a2e57440ba6b71197e0039b33db087fed43c810dec08e896cdb4fd996b1f3dc544efcfe" title="even attacked">even attacked</a> Ivanka Trump.</li><li>Tucker Carlson's <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=e9e94d47ce4553bfd9fe07d3e66de17dee6ed20c633a081ec1065be3ac80b30ed7f930c867fa78dbd86558f8a8ab7e98cf834275578e0231" title="wild new talking point">wild new talking point</a> is that abortion is somehow a tool of "corporate" oppression.</li><li>A Fox host <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=e9e94d47ce4553bfd909a4975fec6cf4e52ee75d62f4b8fc135072c65ce4a6f631a8bf3fb5beb9f1f87ac8f83787ae62e42ce5b697e703c6" title="blamed bank regulation">blamed bank regulation</a> for high tuition and the student loan crisis.</li></ul>=ref
Wall Street Journal published an <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/germanys-dirty-green-cars-11556057770?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1">editorial</a> on April 23 that derided electric vehicles in Germany as "dirty," based on a recent study that has been called into question by a number of experts and mainstream German news outlets. The Journal's editorial board, which has a <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/534ec657e4b03c887dde2641/t/575f6edd20c647ff95c170a0/1465872094069/FINAL_CN_WSJ_white_paper-0613.pdf">history</a> of climate denial, has attacked both <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/worlds-dumbest-energy-policy-11548807424">German energy policy</a> and<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-electric-kool-aid-subsidy-test-11546201813">electric vehicles</a> (EVs) before.The dubious study has also been hyped by climate deniers and right-wing outlets in the U.S., including Infowars and The Daily Caller.<h2>Experts point out major flaws in German study on electric vs. diesel cars</h2>The <a href="https://www.cesifo-group.de/DocDL/sd-2019-08-sinn-karl-buchal-motoren-2019-04-25.pdf">study</a> was conducted by the Ifo Institute, a Munich-based think tank, and argued that a Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle driven in Germany is responsible for more carbon dioxide pollution than a Mercedes C220d diesel vehicle. The study, which was released in German on April 17 and has not yet been translated into English, finds that the Tesla emits between 156 and 181 grams of CO2 per kilometer driven, compared to 141 grams of CO2 from the diesel Mercedes. The study attributes roughly half of the Tesla's emissions to the vehicle’s production process, including its battery, which the authors assume will only last 10 years or 150,000 kilometers. The other half of the Tesla’s estimated emissions in Germany come from electricity used to charge the car, some of which is generated by burning coal.English-language summaries of the study include a <a href="http://www.cesifo-group.de/ifoHome/presse/Pressemitteilungen/Pressemitteilungen-Archiv/2019/Q2/pm_20190417_sd08-Elektroautos.html">press release</a> from the Ifo Institute and a Brussels Times <a href="http://www.brusselstimes.com/business/technology/15050/electric-vehicles-emit-more-co2-than-diesel-ones,-german-study-shows">write-up</a>.Soon after the study's release, German-language outlets started pushing back on its findings and methodology, including <a href="https://www.spiegel.de/auto/aktuell/e-auto-schlechtgerechnet-die-ifo-studie-zur-co2-bilanz-a-1263622.html">Der Spiegel</a>, the highest-circulation news magazine in Europe, and <a href="https://www.wiwo.de/technologie/mobilitaet/ist-das-e-auto-ein-rueckschritt-was-hans-werner-sinn-bei-seiner-elektroauto-studie-uebersehen-hat/24237236.html">WirtschaftsWoche</a>, a weekly business news magazine. Articles in both publications highlighted miscalculations and faulty assumptions, and pointed to a number of other studies on EVs that had come to opposite conclusions.One English-language debunk of the study came in a <a href="https://twitter.com/AukeHoekstra/status/1120327764543004672">Twitter thread</a> from Netherlands-based energy researcher Auke Hoekstra. Hoekstra <a href="https://twitter.com/AukeHoekstra/status/1120327767923593217">noted</a> that the study's claims about the diesel Mercedes' emissions are wrong -- the Mercedes emits closer to 220 grams of CO2 per kilometer, rather than 141, he argued. He also <a href="https://twitter.com/AukeHoekstra/status/1120327774433173504">highlighted</a> how the authors used an extremely low number for how long an electric vehicle battery lasts. He stated, “even Tesla's from the olden days can drive 600 000 km before the battery reaches 80% capacity.” He <a href="https://twitter.com/AukeHoekstra/status/1120327788093952000">summed up</a> his criticisms:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">To summarize: EVs only emit more CO2 if you make unrealistically negative assumptions for battery production, battery life and electricity mix while making unrealistically positive assumption about diesel consumption.Correct ANY of these and the tables are turned. Bigly.— AukeHoekstra (@AukeHoekstra) <a href="https://twitter.com/AukeHoekstra/status/1120327788093952000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2019</a></blockquote>Hoekstra also <a href="https://twitter.com/AukeHoekstra/status/1120327769479634946">argued</a> that the analysis should not be presented as an academic study. Instead, he characterized it as “the opinion of three people, … none of whom have any background” in EVs or batteries. One of the authors, Hans-Werner Sinn, has been criticized for using dubious assumptions in energy studies before: Sinn received strong <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014292118301107?via%3Dihub">pushback</a> on a 2018 paper he wrote claiming that energy storage requirements ultimately limit the expansion of renewable energy. Sinn has also <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/misp.12060">argued</a> that criticism of Volkswagen over its role in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2015/sep/23/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-explained-diesel-cars">Dieselgate scandal</a> has been exaggerated, and placed much of the blame for the scandal on U.S. efforts to regulate diesel engines.Another <a href="https://electrek.co/2019/04/22/study-electric-cars-dirtier-diesel-debunked/">debunk</a> of the Ifo study came from Fred Lambert, chief editor of the electric transportation news site Electrek. He noted:<blockquote>One of the biggest mistakes they are making is that they are comparing the full production and lifecycle of an electric vehicle, including the emission from the electricity uses, against the production and lifecycle of a diesel car without accounting for all the energy used to produce the diesel and supply it to the cars.</blockquote>Lambert also called out the study’s authors for falsely assuming a battery life of 150,000 kilometers and for failing to note that Germany is planning to <a href="https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/germanys-climate-action-plan-2050">rapidly decarbonize</a>its electricity system, which would greatly improve the carbon footprint of EVs in the near future.Another criticism of the study has been its focus solely on Germany's energy grid and the authors' failure to take into account the overall mix of the larger European energy market that Germany is a part of. German carmaker Volkswagen, which manufactures both EVs and diesel vehicles, responded to the study by defending EVs. In an <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/ifo-study-casts-doubt-on-electric-vehicles-climate-saving-credentials/a-48460328">English-language article</a> by Deutsche Welle, a German international broadcaster, Volkswagen noted that with Germany's current electricity mix, its Golf EV would have a similar CO2 output as a diesel car of the same type -- 142 grams per kilogram compared to 140. However, “using the European energy mix for calculations, which includes large amounts of nuclear energy from France and water power from Norway, the e-Golf's carbon footprint would be down to 119 g/km” -- far below the CO2 output of a diesel car.Other analyses have disproved the claim that EVs are not environmentally friendly. In 2018, the Union of Concerned Scientists <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-reichmuth/new-data-show-electric-vehicles-continue-to-get-cleaner">found</a> that a U.S.-based EV is equivalent to a conventional gasoline car that gets 80 miles per gallon. Unlike the German study, it looked at all of the emissions from fueling and driving both vehicles. It also found that EVs will get cleaner over time as electric grids get cleaner, noting that its 2018 estimate was an improvement of 7 mpg from 2017. And a 2017 <a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/press/electric-cars-emit-less-co2-over-their-lifetime-diesels-even-when-powered-dirtiest-electricity">report</a> from the Transport & Environment group, a Brussels-based transportation policy group, found that EVs emit fewer greenhouse gases than diesel cars even when EVs are powered by the most carbon-intensive electricity.<h2>Right-wing outlets in the U.S. promote Ifo’s study to disparage EVs</h2>Although the Ifo study is specific to Germany’s electric grid and has been widely criticized, climate deniers and right-wing outlets in the U.S. have picked up on it and are using it to disparage EVs generally. Steve Milloy, a notorious <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/steve-milloy">denier</a> and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-case-for-a-green-no-deal-11555021957">frequent</a> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/too-much-academic-science-is-bad-science-11551469383">Wall Street Journal</a> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-epa-cleans-up-its-science-1522105331">contributor</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/JunkScience/status/1119220660843237376">tweeted</a> about the study on April 19. On April 22, extreme right-wing outlet Infowars <a href="https://www.infowars.com/study-electric-cars-emit-more-co2-than-diesel-vehicles/">wrote</a> about the study, and far-right conspiracy theorist Paul Joseph Watson <a href="https://twitter.com/PrisonPlanet/status/1120452539017826306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1120452539017826306&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcitizen.co.za%2Flifestyle%2Ftechnology%2F2121676%2Fviral-study-slammed-electric-cars-are-not-dirtier-than-diesel%2F">tweeted</a> about the Infowars piece. The right-wing website Zero Hedge <a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-21/new-study-shocks-electric-cars-considerably-worse-climate-diesel-cars">wrote</a> about the study too, and a <a href="https://twitter.com/FBastiat1/status/1120315662809935872">tweet</a> pointing to that post was <a href="https://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2019/04/25/mandy_ev_tweet.png">retweeted</a> by <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/02/epa-official-launches-dark-money-grp-promoting-trump-agenda/">Mandy Gunasekara</a>, a former Trump EPA official and current Fox News contributor.After The Wall Street Journal wrote about the study, still more right-wing outlets covered it, including <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/24/tesla-carbon-dioxide-mercedes/">The Daily Caller</a>, which has a <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060213559">long record</a> of inaccurate reporting on climate and energy issues, and <a href="https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/scam-century-scientific-study-destroys-electric-car-debate/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=PostSideSharingButtons&utm_campaign=websitesharingbuttons">The Western Journal</a>, a conservative news outlet with a <a href="https://climatefeedback.org/evaluation/western-journal-op-ed-deceives-readers-with-completely-unsupported-claims-jay-lehr-tom-harris/">history</a> of deceptive climate claims.<h2>The Wall Street Journal has a long track record of misleading on climate and energy issues</h2>The Wall Street Journal's opinion pages have <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/534ec657e4b03c887dde2641/t/575f6edd20c647ff95c170a0/1465872094069/FINAL_CN_WSJ_white_paper-0613.pdf">spread misinformation</a> about climate change for decades. A Media Matters <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/research/2016/09/01/study-newspaper-opinion-pages-feature-science-denial-and-other-climate-change-misinformation/212700">study</a> found that from January 2015 to August 2016, one-third of the paper’s climate-related opinion pieces contained climate denial or other inaccurate statements about climate change. We’ve <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/research/2016/09/01/analysis-wall-street-journal-opinion-section-chief-apologist-exxon-s-climate-change-deceit/212749">also found</a> that the paper's opinion section is ExxonMobil’s chief apologist for its climate change lies, and it has <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2016/12/20/twofer-editorial-proves-wall-street-journal-denial-about-fracking-and-climate-change/214877">defended</a> the fracking industry against accusations that it contaminates drinking water. According to a recent <a href="https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/01/if-you-cant-deny-it-downplay-it">article</a> in Current Affairs, the Journal has shifted in recent years from denying climate change to downplaying it, but still remains an impediment to clean energy and climate action. The Wall Street Journal has always been a pro-polluter, pro-industry paper, so it’s no surprise that it would overlook flaws and publicize questionable research that disparages a direct threat to the fossil-fuel industry.<div class="item-info"><div class="social-strip-medium"><div class="share-fb" /><div class="fb-share-button" data-href="blog/2019/04/25/WSJ-and-right-wing-outlets-hype-dubious-study-criticizing-electric-vehicles/223566" data-layout="button" /><div class="share-twitter"><a href="https://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://mm4a.org/4a8" data-text="WSJ and right-wing outlets hype dubious study criticizing electric vehicles" /></div><div class="g-plusone-override" /><div class="share-bitly" /></div><dl class="item-taxonomy"><dt>Posted In</dt><dd><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/issues/environment-science">Environment & Science</a>, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/issues/climate-change">Climate Change</a>, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/issues/energy">Energy</a></dd><dt class="idislikeieseven">
</dt><dt>Network/Outlet</dt><dd><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/networks-and-outlets/wall-street-journal">Wall Street Journal</a>, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/networks-and-outlets/daily-caller">The Daily Caller</a>, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/networks-and-outlets/infowars">Infowars</a>, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/networks-and-outlets/western-journal">Western Journal</a></dd><dt class="idislikeieseven">
</dt><dt>Person</dt><dd><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/people/steve-milloy">Steve Milloy</a>, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/people/paul-joseph-watson">Paul Joseph Watson</a></dd><dt class="idislikeieseven">
</dt><dt>Stories/Interests</dt><dd><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/stories-and-interests/climate-change">Climate Change</a>, <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/stories-and-interests/electric-vehicles">Electric Vehicles</a></dd></dl></div>
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/11/business/tesla-gm-electric-car-tax-credit/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/11/business/tesla-gm-electric-car-tax-credit/index.html</a><div class="elleafmedia elleafmedia--sourced-paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgb(254, 254, 254);"><cite class="el-editorial-source" kern="kern" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizelegibility" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700;">(CNN Business)</cite>General Motors and Tesla sales could get a boost if a bill introduced this week by a bipartisan group of lawmakers to expand the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2018/12/31/tech/tesla-tax-credit/index.html" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s; box-shadow: rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset, rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset;">electric car tax credit</a> passes Congress.</div><div class="zn-bodyparagraph speakable" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;">Michigan Democrats Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Sen. Gary Peters and Rep. Dan Kildee joined with Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander and Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins to propose the legislation, which they say would increase production in electric vehicles and create jobs.</div><div class="zn-bodyparagraph speakable" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;">Currently, customers who buy electric cars receive a $7,500 tax credit. But it phases out after an automaker sells 200,000 vehicles.</div><div class="zn-bodyparagraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;">Tesla (<a href="https://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=TSLA&source=story_quote_link" class="inlink" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s; box-shadow: rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset, rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset;">TSLA</a>) was <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/12/autos/tesla-tax-credits/index.html" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s; box-shadow: rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset, rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset;">first to hit the cap</a> last year, and responded by cutting the price of its cars by $2,000. GM (<a href="https://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=GM&source=story_quote_link" class="inlink" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s; box-shadow: rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset, rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset;">GM</a>) exceeded 200,000 vehicles sold earlier this year, and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/03/business/gm-plug-in-tax-credit/index.html" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(254, 254, 254); box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s; box-shadow: rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset, rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset;">has warned </a>that sales of their plug-in cars, like the Chevrolet Bolt and Volt, could drop as the tax credit phases out.</div><div class="cn cn-list-hierarchical-xs cn--idx-5 cn-zoneAdContainer" data-layout="list-hierarchical-xs" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style: none; background-color: rgb(254, 254, 254);"><div class="elembedded elembedded--standard" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 780px; z-index: 0;"><div class="elstoryelement--standard elarticle--embed" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; margin-right: 30px; clear: both; cursor: default; margin-bottom: 30px; width: 300px; margin-top: 10px;"><div class="elarticle--teaseimage" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
</div><div class="mediacaption elstoryelementtitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 14px 10px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.375; margin: 0px; position: relative; border: 1px solid rgb(230, 230, 230);"><span class="elstoryelementheader" kern="kern" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizelegibility" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 20px;"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/03/business/gm-plug-in-tax-credit/index.html" kern="kern" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizelegibility" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s;">GM's plug-in tax credit set to expire</a></div></div></div><div class="elleafmedia elleafmedia--gobankingrates" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="zn-bodyparagraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;">The proposed legislation would raise the cap, so that another 400,000 vehicles sold by each manufacturer will be eligible for a $7,000 tax credit. It would start phasing out after 600,000 vehicles are sold.</div><div class="zn-bodyread-all" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="zn-bodyparagraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;">"At a time when climate change is having a real effect on Michigan, today's legislation is something we can do now to reduce emissions and combat carbon pollution," Stabenow said in a statement.</div><div class="elleafmedia elleafmedia--myfinance" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both;"><div class="zn-bodyparagraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;">"Our bill will help create American jobs and cement Michigan's status as an advanced manufacturing hub," she added.</div><div class="zn-bodyparagraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;">Alexander applauded how far the electric car industry has come over the past decade.</div><div class="zn-bodyparagraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;">"Investing in American research and technology for better electric vehicles is one way to help our country and the world deal with climate change," he said.</div><div class="zn-bodyparagraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;">The proposal could get pushback from the Trump administration. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said in December that the president wants to end the electric vehicle tax credit, the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-looking-beyond-gm-seeks-to-end-all-electric-car-tax-credits-kudlow-says-1543874287" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s; box-shadow: rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset, rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset;">Wall Street Journal</a> reported.</div><div class="cn cn-list-hierarchical-xs cn--idx-17 cn-zoneAdContainer" data-layout="list-hierarchical-xs" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;"><div class="zn-bodyparagraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;">"As a matter of our policy, we want to end all those subsidies," Kudlow said.</div><div class="zn-bodyparagraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 15px; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; line-height: 1.66667; margin-right: 0px;">The comment came days after Trump threatened to end subsidies for GM, in response to the automaker's announcement that <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/27/business/gm-trump-subsidies/index.html" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease 0s; box-shadow: rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset, rgb(0, 197, 158) 0px -1px 0px inset;">it would but cutting thousands of jobs.</a></div></div></div>Trump and Big Oil Want to Pull the Plug on the Electric Car Market.Trump's proposed budget for 2020 would eliminate the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-budget-autonomous/trump-budget-proposes-ending-electric-vehicle-tax-credit-idUSKBN1QS27Q" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">federal tax credit</a> for buyers of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">electric vehicles</a>. The oil industry is backing the proposal, as well as a bill to impose a "user fee" — that is, a tax — on drivers of electric vehicles and trucks.<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/big-oil" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">Big Oil</a> is panicked by the looming end to the domination of the U.S. transportation system by the internal combustion engine. The fear is justified.<div class="rebellt-item col1" data-id="1" data-reload-ads="false" id="rebelltitem1"> A few years ago, the oil industry was shrugging off the threat of electric vehicles, predicting that EVs would reach <a href="https://www.ogj.com/articles/2017/01/bp-energy-outlook-global-energy-demand-to-grow-30-to-2035.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">only 5 percent</a> of global market share by the mid-2030s. Other analysts were far more bullish, projecting that EVs would have up to a third of the market by that time.According to EnergyWire, EV sales in the U.S. grew by <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060127593" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">more than 80 percent</a> last year. <a href="https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017-09-13-Future-of-EVs-Research-Note_FINAL.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">Energy Innovation</a> expects EVs to make up to 75 percent of sales by 2050 — more than 15 million electric cars and trucks a year. Big Oil may be trying to slow the shift but can read the writing on the wall: Oil companies are <a href="https://qz.com/1542499/oil-companies-and-utilities-are-buying-up-all-the-electric-car-charging-startups/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">investing heavily</a> in startups building electric vehicle charging stations.EVs are already cheaper to drive than gas guzzlers. Comparing a fully electric Chevy Bolt to a car that gets 25 mpg at $2.50 per gallon, the Illinois <a href="https://citizensutilityboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2017_The-ABCs-of-EVs-Report.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">Citizens Utility Board</a> found that the Bolt would cost almost $800 less to drive per year than the conventional car.And they're going to get much cheaper to buy. <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-the-good-news-in-that-alarming-report-on-climate-change-2018-11-27" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">The price of batteries</a> for EVs dropped by 80 percent from 2010 to 2017. As that trend continues, <a href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/electric-cars-reach-price-parity-2025/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">Bloomberg New Energy Finance</a> predicts the costs of buying and operating an EV will be cheaper than comparable gasoline-powered cars by the middle of next decade. </div><div class="rebellt-item col1" data-id="2" data-reload-ads="false" id="rebelltitem2"> That's a win-win for the climate and for public health. Here's why.<ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px;"><li>EVs are essential for fighting climate change. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/car-emissions-and-global-warming" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">almost one-fifth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions</a> comes from cars and trucks — 19 pounds of emissions for every gallon of gas burned. To head off the worst impacts of climate change, we must not only switch to renewable energy sources to generate electricity but also slash tailpipe pollution. UCS says an electric vehicle is responsible for fewer emissions than a car that gets 80 mpg.</li></ul><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px;"><li>EVs save lives. According to the <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2013/study-air-pollution-causes-200000-early-deaths-each-year-in-the-us-0829" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a>, vehicles kill 53,000 people annually prematurely from particulate or microscopic soot pollution. The <a href="https://www.energy.ca.gov/2017publications/CEC-999-2017-008/CEC-999-2017-008.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">California Energy Commission</a> says putting five million EVs on the road — about one-third of the vehicles currently on the road in the state — would save $640 million in health costs from reduced air pollution.</li></ul>The oil industry and other supporters of ending the EV tax credit say they're only trying to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-11-19/big-oil-vs-electric-cars-carbon-tax-would-level-playing-field" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">level the playing field.</a> But compare the EV tax credit, which currently totals about <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-the-good-news-in-that-alarming-report-on-climate-change-2018-11-27" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">$400 million per year,</a> to federal subsidies to the oil industry, which total <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2017/10/14/u-s-tax-code-4-6-billion-u-s-oil-company-subsidies-per-year/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5;">$4.6 billion</a> a year. Let's end taxpayer handouts to the likes of ExxonMobil and Chevron instead of penalizing car buyers who want to save money, lives and the planet. </div><div class="post-pager js-listicle-pager" data-async_load_parameters="platform=desktop&display_ads=1&settings=%7B%22list_breaks%22%3A+null%2C+%22body_text_above%22%3A+false%2C+%22show_columns_on_mobile%22%3A+false%2C+%22use_ads%22%3A+false%2C+%22reorder_voting%22%3A+false%2C+%22numeration_sort%22%3A+-1%2C+%22items_as_posts%22%3A+false%2C+%22ads_breaks%22%3A+null%2C+%22enter_url%22%3A+false%2C+%22ads_order%22%3A+%5B%5D%2C+%22no_redirect%22%3A+false%2C+%22multiple_answers%22%3A+false%2C+%22no_post_section%22%3A+false%2C+%22use_pagination%22%3A+false%2C+%22next_post_url%22%3A+null%2C+%22source%22%3A+%22post_listicle_settings%22%2C+%22use_numeration%22%3A+false%2C+%22up_down_voting%22%3A+false%2C+%22layout_type%22%3A+1%2C+%22pagination_order%22%3A+%5B%5D%7D" data-listicle-style="" style="display: table; width: 780px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="around-the-web"><div class="around-the-webheadline" style="font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase; margin-top: 10px;">RELATED ARTICLES AROUND THE WEB</div><ul class="around-the-weblist" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;"><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/will-koch-pull-the-plug-on-electric-cars-2622472772.html" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">Will Koch Pull the Plug on Electric Cars? - EcoWatch ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/ev-charging-stations-2632121686.html" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">Everybody Wants EV Charging Stations. Almost Nobody Wants to ... ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/high-speed-rail-united-states-2632740130.html" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">Will High-Speed Rail Ever Get on Track in the U.S.? - EcoWatch ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gm-general-motors-electric-vehicles-tax-credit/" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-color: rgb(82, 149, 70); line-height: 1.5; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">GM electric vehicle: Tax credit for General Motors plug-in cars will ... ›</a></li></ul></div><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-electric-car-market-2633034895.html" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" csvg="Csvg" height="%2213%22" width="%2213%22" version="%221.1%22" cg="Cg" transform="%22translate%28-36.467808%2C-258.39005%29%22%3E" cpath="Cpath" d="%22m40.55%2C263.9c0-0.6213%2C0.6213-0.6213%2C0.6213-0.6213%2C1.864%2C0.6213%2C3.107%2C1.864%2C3.728%2C3.728%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C0.6213-0.6213%2C0.6213-1.243-1.864-1.864-2.485-3.728-3.728z%22/%3E" c="C" g="g" e="E" rgb="rgb" padding-right="padding-right" px="px" xmlns="%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22" xmlns:cc="%22http://creativecommons.org/ns%23%22" xmlns:data="data" xmlns:dc="%22http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/%22%3E" xmlns:rdf="%22http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns%23%22">Trump and Big Oil Want to Pull the Plug on the Electric Car Market</a>.<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/colorado-electric-school-buses-air-2622696429.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/colorado-electric-school-buses-air-2622696429.html</a><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/colorado-electric-school-buses-air-2622696429.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/colorado-electric-school-buses-air-2622696429.html</a><h1 class="widgetheadline h1" style="margin: 10px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; cursor: pointer; overflow-wrap: break-word; line-height: 22px;"><a class="widgetheadline-text custom-post-headline" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/colorado-electric-school-buses-air-2622696429.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; line-height: 31px;">Why Aren't School Buses Electric? These Coloradans Are Sick of Diesel</a></h1><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url css-listicle-body-2622696429 expanded" data-elid="2622696429" data-authors="Natural Resources Defense Council" data-headline="Why Aren't School Buses Electric? These Coloradans Are Sick of Diesel" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px;"><div class="body-description"><div class="widgetbrief">By Corey BinnsBefore her two kids returned to school at the end of last summer, Lorena Osorio stood before the Westminster, Colorado, school board and gave heartfelt testimony about raising her asthmatic son, now a student at the local high school. "My son was only three years old when he first suffered from asthma," she said. Like most kids, he rode a diesel school bus. Some afternoons he arrived home struggling to breathe.</div><div class="js-appear-on-expand" style="transition: all 350ms ease 0s; height: auto; overflow: hidden; opacity: 1;">Osorio and her family live just north of Denver, where children are at particularly high risk for respiratory illnesses. Air quality there ranks among the worst in the nation, according to an American Lung Association <a href="https://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/sota/city-rankings/most-polluted-cities.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">report</a>.That evening at the school board meeting, Osorio stood alongside a Spanish translator working with <a href="https://conservationco.org/protegete/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Protégete</a>, the Latino outreach arm of the environmental nonprofit <a href="https://conservationco.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Conservation Colorado</a>. The group runs a <a href="http://origin.lcv.org/chispa/clean-buses-healthy-ninos/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Clean Buses for Healthy Niños</a> campaign, an initiative of the League of Conservation Voters, which advocates across the country for states to trade in their diesel school buses for <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">electric</a> ones, particularly in <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/juanita-constible/us-air-pollution-completely-outrageous-1" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">communities of color and low-income areas, which suffer disproportionately from air pollution</a>.In Colorado, more than 4,000 yellow school buses run on diesel. They carry 42 percent of the state's school kids and spew out nearly 50,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year. Each electric school bus can save districts nearly $2,000 a year in fuel and $4,400 a year in maintenance costs, according to a <a href="https://copirgfoundation.org/reports/cof/electric-buses" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">report</a> by the Colorado Public Interest Research Group (CoPIRG) Foundation, Frontier Group and Environment Colorado.Colorado school districts may now apply for state funding for a new fleet of electric buses via the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/media/2016/160628-0" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Volkswagen diesel emissions cheating scandal settlement</a>, as Osorio explained. That settlement resulted in more than $4 billion being split among 44 states plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico for use in environmental mitigation and to promote adoption of zero-emissions technology. "It is our responsibility to clean up our contaminated air," Osorio told the board members.Thanks in part to the efforts of Conservation Colorado, CoPIRG, the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project and NRDC, Colorado has earmarked <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2018/03/23/colorado-volkswagen-pollution-settlement-plans/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">$18 million of its settlement funds</a> to replace about 450 trucks, school buses, shuttle buses and other vehicles with alternative-fuel or electric vehicles. Another portion of the funds will pay for charging stations, a necessary part of the electric vehicle infrastructure.Advocates say that improvements in our transportation sector—one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gases across the nation—are key to addressing both our changing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">climate</a> and public health challenges. CoPIRG director Danny Katz noted that Denver puts out ozone alerts to urge residents to stay indoors on bad days, something he calls incongruous with the state's reputation as a destination for nature lovers. "<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Air pollution</a>is literally impacting our ability to live an active outdoor lifestyle that is central to our quality of life here," he said. "This is especially bad for the 343,000 Coloradans with asthma, but ultimately this impacts everyone."Still, the momentum for change has been slow to build. For example, in Westminster, the school board has so far deemed the program impractical for its district's use. "Given [our] size—9,500 students—and the fact that we replace, at most, one vehicle a year, the electric bus program does not make sense for the district," said its chief communications officer, Steve Saunders. And while nearby Denver Public Schools has been in conversation about alternative fuels and electric school buses and their benefits, the district has made no purchase plans. But on the northern side of the Denver metro area, Adams County School District 12—which serves about 39,000 students across five municipalities—has applied for grants for eight buses.
 Meanwhile, environmental advocates are eagerly awaiting leadership on the issue by the state's incoming governor, Jared Polis, who was <a href="https://conservationco.org/2018/11/elections-2018-recap/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">endorsed by Conservation Colorado</a> for his record on fighting for clean air and climate action. They are also waiting for the technology itself. Blue Bird—North America's top school bus manufacturer—<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2018/07/17/volkswagen-diesel-emissions-settlement-buyback-repair/788575002/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">delivered its first</a> electric buses to districts in Ontario and California only this past September. (In December 2016, <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/energy-department-announces-18-million-investment-accelerate-development-plug-electric" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">the corporation received $4.4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy</a> for research and the development of a zero-emissions electric school bus using vehicle-to-grid technology by 2019.)Despite the modest pace of the transition, however, analysts see promise: <a href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/e-buses-surge-even-faster-evs-conventional-vehicles-fade/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Bloomberg New Energy Finance</a>(BNEF) estimates that in the second half of the 2020s, electric buses will take off even faster than electric vehicles, filling 84 percent of the market by 2030. As Colin McKerracher, lead analyst on advanced transportation for BNEF, noted in May, "Developments over the last 12 months, such as manufacturers' plans for model roll-outs and new regulations on urban pollution, have bolstered our bullish view of the prospects for EVs."Those prospects could be further improved if fleet managers and school districts partner up with electric utilities. As NRDC senior attorney <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/max-baumhefner" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Max Baumhefner</a> explained, utilities are increasingly looking to use the big batteries in electric school buses to lower the cost of managing a grid with large amounts of variable electricity generation like wind and solar. "Putting kids in zero-emission buses is motivation enough," he noted, "but when those buses are stationary (which is most of the day and all night), they can be charged when wind or solar generation is abundant, and [school districts] can get paid to put that electricity back onto the grid when it is most needed."Grassroots groups are poised to play a big role in electric bus adoption in Colorado. During the past two years, Protégete has worked hard to bring attention to the issue in the Latino community in Denver. Juan Pérez Sáez, one of the group's community organizers, led a team in collecting comments from Latino residents and bringing people to the state's public hearings. Some described how high housing prices forced them to live, work and play in the city's industrial outskirts, next to highways and near factories and refineries, where dirty air is a daily fact of life and asthma rates are high.In fact, as Pérez Sáez noted, <a href="https://www.lung.org/about-us/blog/2016/05/kids-missing-school.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">asthma is a leading cause across the U.S. for absenteeism in schools</a>. "It means children are not having the opportunity to be educated in an environment that is safe for them," he said, "and that should be a priority for everyone."In July, Pérez Sáez traveled with fellow community members and environmental justice leaders from Nevada, Arizona and Colorado to the <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2018/03/23/colorado-volkswagen-pollution-settlement-plans/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Rally for Clean Air</a> in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a state that has seen <a href="https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2018-07-19/environment/air-quality-methane-rally-ahead-of-u-s-governors-meeting-in-santa-fe/a63369-1" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">increasing air pollution yet little progress on electric school buses</a> or other climate action under the outgoing Republican governor, Susana Martinez. Under Martinez, the New Mexico Environment Department has argued that electric buses wouldn't be a cost-effective use of its VW settlement funds, despite the fact that 1 out of every 11 of the state's children has asthma.The rally took place as Martinez and other state lawmakers were gathering for an annual meeting of the National Governors Association. Protégete joined forces with the <a href="http://www.cleanride4kids.org/blog/stories/a-peoples-convening-rally-for-clean-air-cleanride4kids-at-the-nga-2018-summer-meeting/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">League of Conservation Voters, Chispa</a>activists, <a href="https://www.momscleanairforce.org/state-of-new-mexico/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Moms Clean Air Force</a>, <a href="https://cvnmef.org/juntos/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Juntos</a> and other organizations to demand justice for communities disproportionately affected by asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Pérez Sáez marched alongside a crowd of parents and students, with some kids wearing surgical masks and dressed in yellow school bus costumes.We should change the narrative of the environmental movement, Pérez Sáez said. "If you want to be an environmentalist, you can be an environmentalist. You don't need to have the money to buy your own electric car, but we can all advocate to get public transit, to get electric zero-emission school buses. And that will impact everyone at the same level."RELATED ARTICLES AROUND THE WEB<div class="around-the-web"><ul class="around-the-weblist" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;"><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/electric-buses-san-francisco-2569678060.html" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">San Francisco Seeks 100% Electric Bus Fleet by 2035 ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://electrek.co/2018/05/07/all-electric-school-buses-fleet-california-2/" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">A fleet of all-electric school buses grows to 150 vehicles in California ... ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.mnn.com/green-tech/transportation/blogs/case-electric-school-buses" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Making the case for the electric school bus | MNN - Mother Nature ... ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/compass/2018/01/children-deserve-ride-zero-emission-school-buses" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Children Deserve to Ride on Zero-Emission School Buses | Sierra ... ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="http://www.cleanride4kids.org/" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Electric School Buses | Take action with Clean Buses for Healthy ... ›</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div>koch Industries is calling for the elimination of tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs), all while claiming that it does not oppose plug-in cars and inviting the elimination of oil and gas subsidies that the petroleum conglomerate and its industry peers receive.<div class="views-field views-field-disqus-comment-count" open="open" sans="sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="float: left; margin-right: 15px;"><div class="views-field views-field-view-node" open="open" sans="sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/11/09/koch-industries-lobbies-against-electric-vehicle-tax-credit" style="outline: 0px;">READ MORE</a></div><div class="views-field views-field-view-node" open="open" sans="sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase;">
</div><div class="views-field views-field-view-node" open="open" sans="sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase;">=koch Industries is calling for the elimination of tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs), all while claiming that it does not oppose plug-in cars and inviting the elimination of oil and gas subsidies that the petroleum conglomerate and its industry peers receive.<div class="views-field views-field-disqus-comment-count" style="text-align: start; text-transform: none; float: left; margin-right: 15px;"><div class="views-field views-field-view-node"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/11/09/koch-industries-lobbies-against-electric-vehicle-tax-credit" style="outline: 0px;">READ MORE</a></div>Koch Industries is calling for the elimination of tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs), all while claiming that it does not oppose plug-in cars and inviting the elimination of oil and gas subsidies that the petroleum conglomerate and its industry peers receive.Outgoing Nevada Republican Senator Dean Heller introduced a bill in September that would <a href="https://electrek.co/2018/10/16/tesla-federal-tax-credit-electric-car-new-billl-republican/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">lift the sales cap on electric vehicles</a> eligible for a federal tax credit, and replace the cap with a deadline that would dictate when the credit would start being phased out.Under the current tax credit for EVs, once a manufacturer sells 200,000 EVs in the U.S. the amount of the credit gets slashed in half, then halved again. The full credit amount is $7,500. Tesla has already hit the 200,000 cap and GM will soon reach it, so both companies would benefit from a tax credit extension via eliminating the sales cap. Heller’s <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s3582/text" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">bill</a> lifts the 200,000 vehicle limit and substitutes a phase-out period starting in 2022.But the conservative senator’s bill is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-25/koch-targets-endangered-gop-senator-s-car-credit-that-aids-tesla" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">facing opposition</a> from the conservative billionaire Koch brothers.In a <a href="https://news.kochind.com/media-resources/On-The-Issues/Koch-Urges-Senate-to-Allow-Innovation-and-Consumer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">letter</a> to senators dated October 24, Koch Industries lobbyist Philip Ellender urges opposition to the expansion of EV tax credits through 2022. Ellender claims that the tax credits primarily benefit wealthy consumers and that subsidization interferes with “innovation and consumer choice.”The letter cites two studies, each by a right-wing think tank. One study comes from the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/pacific-research-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Pacific Research Institute</a>, which has received fossil fuel funding – including over $1.7 million from Koch-related foundations and $615,000 from ExxonMobil. The <a href="https://www.pacificresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CarSubsidies_final_web.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">PRI study</a>, titled “Costly Subsidies for the Rich: Quantifying the Subsidies Offered to Battery Electric Powered Cars,” emphasizes that “the majority of the dollar benefits from energy and electric car subsidies are paid to tax filers in the higher income tax brackets.”The other study is from the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/manhattan-institute-policy-research" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Manhattan Institute</a>, another “free market think tank” that takes in money from the Koch network and Exxon. The <a href="https://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/short-circuit-high-cost-electric-vehicle-subsidies-11241.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">study</a> paints a misleading picture of EVs and their subsidies.In addition to citing biased studies by groups tied to Koch money, Ellender claims in the letter that “We do not oppose electric vehicles.”This sentiment echoes <a href="https://www.kochvsclean.com/koch-industries-all-for-electric-cars/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">the company's 2016 advertorial</a>, in which Koch Industries claimed to be “all for electric vehicles.”Ellender also claims that Koch Industries is against any and all energy subsidies, even ones that benefit the company. According to the letter:<blockquote style="margin: 1.5em 30px;">Instead of expanding this subsidy for wealthy EV owners, Congress should eliminate it along with all other energy incentives – including eliminating any incentives given to us and our competitors where we may participate. We are focused on long-term value creation, not short-term windfalls.</blockquote>In reality, while Koch Industries is claiming publicly to support ending fossil fuel subsidies (along with EV and clean energy incentives), Koch lobbyists have long worked to ensure that the petroleum industry continues to get subsidized.As <a href="https://www.kochvsclean.com/koch-industries-all-for-electric-cars/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Koch vs. Clean</a> previously pointed out, “In a <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2011/04/06/3936/kochs-web-influence" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">detailed 2011 report on Koch Industries, the Center for Public Integrity wrote</a>: ‘Oil is the core of the Koch business empire, and the company’s lobbyists and officials have successfully fought to preserve the industry’s tax breaks and credits.’ The report documented that Koch lobbyists have worked to preserve billions of dollars in oil industry subsidies, including the Section 199 manufacturing tax deduction and the ‘last-in, first out’ accounting rule.”In fact, according to the International Business Times, <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/charles-koch-blasts-subsidies-tax-credits-his-firm-has-taken-195-million-worth-them-2034949" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Koch Industries has itself directly secured subsidies totaling more than $195 million</a>.The Koch network also lobbied for the Trump tax cuts that became law late last year. The corporate tax cut is not specific to energy, but it benefits giant corporations including Big Oil and Koch Industries nonetheless. <a href="https://americansfortaxfairness.org/koch-brothers-1-billion-tax-cut/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Americans for Tax Fairness estimated</a> that the Kochs would save over $1 billion just this year from the tax cut—a significant windfall for a corporate behemoth that claims, “We are focused on long-term value creation, not short-term windfalls.”
 </div><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/09/27/koch-funded-groups-again-speak-out-against-electric-vehicle-tax-credits">HTTPS://WWW.DESMOGBLOG.COM/2018/09/27/KOCH-FUNDED-GROUPS-AGAIN-SPEAK-OUT-AGAINST-ELECTRIC-VEHICLE-TAX-CREDITS</a>COALITION OF THIRTY CONSERVATIVE FREE-MARKET ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS — THE MAJORITY OF WHICH HAVE CLEAR TIES TO CHARLES AND DAVID KOCH THROUGH THEIR FUNDING OR LEADERSHIP — HAVE <a href="https://www.americanenergyalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/EVCoalition2.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">SENT A LETTER TO HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMAN KEVIN BRADY</a> (R-TEXAS) URGING THAT CONGRESS HALT ANY EXPANSION OF THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE TAX CREDIT, OR SCRAP IT ENTIRELY.THE GROUPS DO NOT MENTION IN THE LETTER THAT THEY BENEFIT FINANCIALLY FROM THE KOCH BROTHERS' PETROCHEMICAL REFINING FORTUNE, NOR THAT ELECTRIC VEHICLES POSE THE LARGEST AND MOST IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THE OIL AND REFINING INDUSTRIES.THE LETTER ARRIVED AS AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO A BILL INTRODUCED LAST WEEK THAT WOULD EXTEND THE 2009 TAX CREDIT FOR ANOTHER TEN YEARS. <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=merkley+electric+car+act&oq=merkley+electric+car+act&aqs=chrome..69i57.3453j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">THE ELECTRIC CARS ACT OF 2018</a>, INTRODUCED BY SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY (D-OREGON) AND OTHERS, WOULD ALSO LIFT THE CAP OF 200,000 VEHICLES SOLD BY EACH MANUFACTURER THAT WOULD QUALIFY FOR THE CREDIT.NOTABLY, THE PROPOSED BILL DIRECTLY ADDRESSES ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CRITICISMS OF THE TAX CREDIT — THAT IT IS PREDOMINANTLY SUBSIDIZING PURCHASES OF HIGH-INCOME AMERICANS. THE BILL WOULD ALLOW BUYERS TO SPREAD THE TAX CREDIT OUT OVER A 5-YEAR PERIOD, OR APPLY THE CREDIT AT THE POINT OF SALE, WHICH WOULD EFFECTIVELY MAKE THE FULL $7,500 CREDIT EASIER TO ACCESS FOR LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME BUYERS WITHOUT LARGE TAX LIABILITY.<h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">WHO ARE THE GROUPS FIGHTING THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE TAX CREDIT?</h3>THE LETTER WAS ORGANIZED BY THE <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-energy-alliance-aea" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">AMERICAN ENERGY ALLIANCE</a>, THE ADVOCACY WING OF THE <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/institute-energy-research" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY RESEARCH</a>, BOTH OF WHICH ARE LED BY FORMER <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/koch-industries-inc" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">KOCH INDUSTRIES</a> LOBBYIST <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/thomas-pyle" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">TOM PYLE</a>. THE AEA HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY VOCAL IN ITS OPPOSITION TO THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE TAX CREDIT, AND IN JUNE <a href="https://www.kochvsclean.com/american-energy-alliance-push-poll-skews-public-support-clean-cars-electric-vehicles/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">RELEASED A DECEPTIVE PUSH POLL</a> THAT RELIED ON DEMONSTRABLY FALSE DATA AND LEADING QUESTIONS TO ALLEGE THAT AMERICANS DON'T SUPPORT THE TAX CREDIT.THE “ACTION” ARM OF THE KOCH-FUNDED CORPORATE BILL MILL THE <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Legislative_Exchange_Council" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL (ALEC)</a> WAS ANOTHER NOTABLE SIGNATORY. ANOTHER IS <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/americans-for-prosperity" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY</a>, THE MASSIVELY INFLUENTIAL NETWORK OF STATE CHAPTERS THAT COORDINATE THE KOCHS' POLITICAL ADVOCACY.OTHER GROUPS THAT SIGNED THE LETTER TO CONGRESS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:THE <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Consumer_Institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">AMERICAN CONSUMER INSTITUTE (ACI)</a> IS BEST KNOWN FOR OPPOSING <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/13-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-fccs-net-neutrality-regulation/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">NET NEUTRALITY EFFORTS</a> WHILE BEING FUNDED BY A MAJOR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER (ISP) LOBBY, AS JOURNALIST <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/8gdbw5/cables-companies-are-astroturfing-fake-consumer-support-to-end-net-neutrality" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">LEE FANG DETAILED FOR VICE</a>. MORE RECENTLY, ITS PRESIDENT AND CEO STEVE POCIASK HAS TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO ATTACKING ELECTRIC VEHICLES, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevepociask/2018/03/22/the-science-on-electric-vehicles-does-not-support-continuing-californias-waiver/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">WRITING ON FORBES</a> THAT “THE SCIENCE ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES DOES NOT SUPPORT CONTINUING CALIFORNIA’S WAIVER” TO SET ITS OWN VEHICLE EMISSION STANDARDS.<a href="http://lessgovernment.org/#sthash.UrtaKSlM.dpbs" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">LESS GOVERNMENT </a>IS AN “ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO REDUCING THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT AND PROTECTING THE FIRST AMENDMENT FROM GOVERNMENTAL ASSAULT.” IT WAS FOUNDED AND IS RUN BY <a href="https://www.heartland.org/about-us/who-we-are/seton-motley" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">SETON MOTLEY</a>, WHO IS ALSO LISTED AS A POLICY ADVISER TO THE CLIMATE SCIENCE-DENYING <a href="http://desmogblog.com/heartland-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">HEARTLAND INSTITUTE</a>. THOUGH MOTLEY AND HIS LESS GOVERNMENT ORG HAVE THEIR ROOTS IN TELECOM AND MEDIA ISSUES, HE HAS IN RECENT YEARS ENGAGED MORE ON CLIMATE AND ENERGY, <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/americans-for-prosperity-anti-wind-letter-analysis/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">SIGNING SOME ANTI-WIND ENERGY LETTERS ORGANIZED BY THE KOCH-BACKED AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY</a> AND <a href="http://lessgovernment.org/why-are-republicans-resurrecting-failed-green-energy-subsidies/#sthash.9ki1QTaT.dpbs" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">WRITING A BIT ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES</a>.THE <a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/taxpayer-protection-alliance" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">TAXPAYERS PROTECTION ALLIANCE (TPA)</a> IS PART OF THE <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/koch" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">NETWORK OF FRONT GROUPS</a> FUNDED BY THE KOCH BROTHERS AND THEIR DONOR NETWORK THROUGH THE <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2012/12/center-to-protect-patient-rights-ga/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">CENTER TO PROTECT PATIENT RIGHTS</a> (NOW CALLED <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Encore" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">AMERICAN ENCORE</a>), AND <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/behind-the-curtain-exclusive-the-koch-brothers-secret-bank-96669.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">FREEDOM PARTNERS</a>. AS THE ENERGY AND POLICY INSTITUTE HAS DESCRIBED, “TPA ESSENTIALLY EXISTS AS A SHELL FOR ITS ADVOCACY, BASED ON ITS OWN IRS FORM 990S: ‘THE TAXPAYERS PROTECTION ALLIANCE HAS GIVEN CONTROL OF THE MANAGEMENT DUTIES AND THE DAILY ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION TO MLM CONSULTING, LLC (MLM). MLM WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THE ORGANIZATION AND WORK TO SUPPORT THE EXEMPT PURPOSES OF TPA. THE PRESIDENT OF TPA, DAVID WILLIAMS, IS THE SOLE OWNER OF MLM CONSULTING LLC.'” TPA HAS FOUGHT CLEAN ENERGY POLICY IN THE PAST USING THE WEBSITE SOLARSECRETS.ORG AND HAS PUBLISHED WHITE PAPERS ARGUING AGAINST SOLAR ENERGY TAX CREDITS.<a href="http://caseforconsumers.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">CONSUMER ACTION FOR A STRONG ECONOMY </a>IS RUN BY MATTHEW KANDRACH, AND HAS BEEN <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/freedomworks#s46" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">LINKED TO A NUMBER OF COALITION EFFORTS STEMMING FROM THE FREEDOMWORKS</a> ORGANIZATION, WHICH WAS BORN OF A MERGER BETWEEN THE KOCH-FOUNDED <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_a_Sound_Economy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">CITIZENS FOR A SOUND ECONOMY (CSE)</a> AND <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Empower_America" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">EMPOWER AMERICA</a>.<a href="https://www.americancommitment.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">AMERICAN COMMITMENT</a> IS RUN BY PHIL KERPEN, A FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY. THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED BY <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sean_Noble" title="Sean Noble" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">SEAN NOBLE</a>, A RIGHT-WING OPERATIVE WITH CLOSE TIES TO THE <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_brothers" title="Koch brothers" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">KOCH BROTHERS</a> WHO ALSO RUNS THE <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Center_to_Protect_Patient_Rights" title="Center to Protect Patient Rights" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">CENTER TO PROTECT PATIENT RIGHTS</a> (AMERICAN ENCORE), A MAJOR FUNNEL FOR KOCH DONOR NETWORK MONEY TO FRONT GROUPS.<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/freedomworks" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">FREEDOMWORKS</a> WAS, AS MENTIONED ABOVE, BORN OF A MERGER BETWEEN THE KOCH-FOUNDED <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_a_Sound_Economy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">CITIZENS FOR A SOUND ECONOMY (CSE)</a>AND <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Empower_America" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">EMPOWER AMERICA</a>, THOUGH IT HAS NO KNOWN KOCH TIES AT PRESENT. THE GROUP WAS DESCRIBED IN A <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150821200015/http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/12/dick-armey-resigns-freedomworks-tea-party" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">2012 ARTICLE IN MOTHER JONES</a> AS “ONE OF THE MAIN POLITICAL OUTFITS OF THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT AND AN INSTRUMENTAL FORCE WITHIN THE TEA PARTY.” IT PUSHES FREE MARKET POLICIES AND HAS QUESTIONED THE WELL-ESTABLISHED SCIENCE LINKING HUMAN ACTIVITY TO A WARMING PLANET.THE <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/competitive-enterprise-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">COMPETITIVE ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE (CEI)</a> IS A CONSERVATIVE ADVOCACY GROUP <a href="https://cei.org/about-cei" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">DEDICATED</a> TO “ECONOMIC FREEDOM” THAT HAS <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/competitive-enterprise-institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">RECEIVED FUNDING</a> FROM EXXONMOBIL, TEXACO, AND THE <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/koch-family-foundations" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">FAMILY FOUNDATIONS OF THE KOCH BROTHERS</a>.<a href="http://www.energyandpolicy.org/americans-for-tax-reform" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM</a> (ATR) IS AN <a href="https://www.atr.org/about" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ANTI-TAX</a> GROUP THAT HAS RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE OIL AND GAS LOBBYING GROUP, THE <a href="http://conservativetransparency.org/org/americans-for-tax-reform-americans-for-tax-reform-foundation/?og_tot=127&order_by=contribution+DESC&adv=American+Petroleum+Institute&min=&max=&yr=&yr1=&yr2=&submit=#grants" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE</a>, ALONG WITH VARIOUS GROUPS IN THE KOCH NETWORK SUCH AS THE <a href="http://conservativetransparency.org/org/americans-for-tax-reform-americans-for-tax-reform-foundation/?og_tot=127&order_by=contribution+DESC&adv=claude&min=&max=&yr=&yr1=&yr2=&submit=#grants" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">CLAUDE R. LAMBE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION</a> AND THE <a href="http://conservativetransparency.org/org/americans-for-tax-reform-americans-for-tax-reform-foundation/?og_tot=127&order_by=contribution+DESC&adv=Center+to+Protect+Patient+Rights&min=&max=&yr=&yr1=&yr2=&submit=#grants" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">CENTER TO PROTECT PATIENT RIGHTS</a>, AS WELL AS <a href="http://conservativetransparency.org/org/americans-for-tax-reform-americans-for-tax-reform-foundation/?og_tot=127&order_by=contribution+DESC&adv=donors&min=&max=&yr=&yr1=&yr2=&submit=#grants" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">DONORSTRUST</a>.<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/frontiers-freedom" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">FRONTIERS OF FREEDOM</a>, RUN BY GEORGE LANDRITH, HAS RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FROM EXXON, THE KOCH BROTHERS, AND DARK MONEY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE DONORSTRUST. IN 2015, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/12/23/energy-equality-coalition-koch-attack-federal-electric-vehicle-tax-credit" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">LANDRITH LAUNCHED THE ENERGY EQUALITY COALITION</a> TO BATTLE AGAINST THE FEDERAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE TAX CREDIT. THE COALITION ALSO INCLUDES DAVID WILLIAMS OF THE TAXPAYER PROTECTION ALLIANCE AND HORACE COOPER, A SENIOR FELLOW AT THE <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/heartland-institute" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">HEARTLAND INSTITUTE</a>. LANDRITH IS ALSO A <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171115202340/http://www.nationalcenter.org/NCPPR_Directors.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">DIRECTOR </a>OF THE <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/national-center-public-policy-research" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">NATIONAL CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH (NCPPR)</a>.THE CENTER FOR FREEDOM AND PROSPERITY WAS <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/global-warming/climate-deniers/front-groups/center-for-freedom-prosperity-foundation/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ONCE FUNDED BY THE CHARLES KOCH FOUNDATION</a> AND HAS ACTIVELY LOBBIED FOR MORE LIBERALIZED TAX LAWS, AND FOR LESS SCRUTINY TOWARDS OFFSHORE TAX HAVENS.<h3 style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">FAMILIAR ATTACKS FROM KOCH-FUNDED INTERESTS</h3>MANY OF THE FREE-MARKET, CONSERVATIVE GROUPS THAT SIGNED THE LETTER <a href="https://www.kochvsclean.com/koch-vs-california-groups-pushing-pruitt-undo-states-right-regulate-auto-emissions/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ALSO SIGNED AN APRIL LETTER</a> TO <a href="http://desmogblog.com/scott-pruitt" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">SCOTT PRUITT</a>, THEN-ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, URGING THE AGENCY TO STRIP CALIFORNIA OF ITS RIGHT TO SET STRICTER GREENHOUSE GAS LIMITS FOR PERSONAL VEHICLES.THE FEDERAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE TAX CREDIT HAS BEEN IN THE DIRECT CROSS-HAIRS OF SOME KOCH-FUNDED GROUPS — INCLUDING THOSE WHO SIGNED LAST WEEK'S LETTER — FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS. FOR INSTANCE, THE <a href="https://www.kochvsclean.com/energy-equality-coalition/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ENERGY EQUALITY COALTION</a>, WHICH, AS MENTIONED ABOVE, WAS LAUNCHED IN LATE 2015 AS AN OFFSHOOT OF FRONTIERS OF FREEDOM WITH THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF FIGHTING THE TAX CREDIT.NOTABLY, ELEVEN OF THE ENERGY EQUALITY COALITION'S <a href="https://twitter.com/EnergyEquality" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">28 TOTAL TWEETS </a>FROM ITS LONG-DORMANT TWITTER ACCOUNT WERE POSTED IN THE THREE DAYS FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF THE AEA'S ANTI-TAX CREDIT LETTER, SUGGESTING THAT THE GROUP MIGHT BE RAMPING UP EFFORTS TO FIGHT AGAINST THE $7,500 TAX INCENTIVE.<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/koch-fueled-attack-on-electric-buses-2598163369.html">HTTPS://WWW.ECOWATCH.COM/KOCH-FUELED-ATTACK-ON-ELECTRIC-BUSES-2598163369.HTML</a><div class="headline-container" style="margin-top: 10px;"><h1 class="headline h1" style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; line-height: 31px;"> KOCH-FUELED ATTACK ON ELECTRIC BUSES PICKS UP SPEED</h1></div><div id="utm_campaign" style="margin-top: 10px;"> <div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url" data-elid="2598163369" data-authors="DeSmogBlog" data-headline="A Koch-Fueled Attack on Electric Buses Picks Up Speed" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px;"><div class="body-description">BY DANA DRUGMANDELECTRIC BUSES ARE REPLACING EXISTING DIESEL-FUELED FLEETS AT AN ACCELERATING RATE, AND THE TRANSITION TO BATTERY-POWERED BUSES IS <a href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/e-buses-surge-even-faster-evs-conventional-vehicles-fade/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">OUTPACING EVEN THE MOST OPTIMISTIC PROJECTIONS</a>. IN THIS LIGHT, IT SHOULD COME AS LITTLE SURPRISE THAT COMMENTATORS AND ORGANIZATIONS WITH TIES TO THE <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/koch-industries-inc" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">KOCH NETWORK</a> AND THE OIL INDUSTRY ARE ATTACKING A TRANSPORTATION OPTION THAT YIELDS FEWER FOSSIL FUEL PROFITS AND CLEANER, HEALTHIER AIR FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET.A STRING OF RECENT COMMENTARIES PUBLISHED IN THE CONSERVATIVE WASHINGTON EXAMINER HAVE RELIED ON A HANDFUL OF CRITICAL REPORTS ABOUT THE ROLLOUT OF ELECTRIC BUSES IN INDIVIDUAL MUNICIPALITIES, WHICH THE COMMENTATORS USE TO PORTRAY ELECTRIC BUSES, AS A CLASS, AS UNECONOMICAL AND UNRELIABLE.DESPITE THESE EFFORTS BY KOCH AFFILIATES AND OIL INDUSTRY CONSULTANTS, THE ELECTRIFICATION OF BUS TRANSIT IS FIRMLY UNDERWAY. THESE HIGH TECH BUSES ARE ALREADY BEING WIDELY DEPLOYED THROUGHOUT CHINA, WHICH, ACCORDING TO BLOOMBERG NEW ENERGY FINANCE (BNEF), IS <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-23/electric-buses-are-hurting-the-oil-industry" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ADDING ABOUT 9,500 ELECTRIC BUSES EVERY FIVE WEEKS</a>. AS CHINA LEADS THE WAY AND NORTH AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN MUNICIPALITIES FOLLOW SUIT, ANALYSTS EXPECT THIS MOMENTUM TO ACCELERATE AND PREDICT <a href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/e-buses-surge-even-faster-evs-conventional-vehicles-fade/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">80 PERCENT OF THE GLOBAL MUNICIPAL BUS FLEET TO BE ELECTRIC BY 2040</a>.THAT IS BAD NEWS FOR THE OIL INDUSTRY. <a href="http://about.bnef.com/blog/e-buses-surge-even-faster-evs-conventional-vehicles-fade/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">BLOOMBERG NEW ENERGY FINANCE</a> FORECASTS THAT SWITCHING FROM INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE TRANSPORT TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES WILL DISPLACE 7.3 MILLION BARRELS OF OIL A DAY.ACCORDING TO <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-23/electric-buses-are-hurting-the-oil-industry" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">BLOOMBERG</a>, THIS YEAR ELECTRIC BUSES ALREADY WILL LOWER DIESEL CONSUMPTION BY 233,000 BARRELS A DAY.<h3>WHO'S BEHIND A SERIES OF DRIVE-BY ATTACKS ON ELECTRIC BUSES IN THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER?</h3>AS MORE CITIES AND STATES MOVE TOWARD THIS ELECTRIFIED MASS TRANSIT OPTION, IT CUTS INTO THE DEMAND FOR CONVENTIONAL DIESEL FUEL—AND INTO FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY PROFITS. <a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/rise-of-electric-vehicles-threatens-oil-industry" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">A WASHINGTON EXAMINER ARTICLE</a> FROM DEC. 12, 2017 EXPLORES THE RISE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES WITH A PARTICULARLY TELLING HEADLINE: "RISE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES THREATENS OIL INDUSTRY."MORE RECENTLY, THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER HAS RUN A SERIES OF OPINION PIECES CRITICIZING ELECTRIC BUSES. THE MAIN ARGUMENTS ARE THAT THEY ARE EXPENSIVE AND UNRELIABLE, PRONE TO BREAKING DOWN. THESE PIECES SHARE ARGUMENTS, AND THEIR AUTHORS SHARE AFFILIATIONS, WITH THE KOCH BROTHERS AND OTHER OIL INDUSTRY FUNDERS.FOR EXAMPLE, ONE <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/marthas-vineyard-latest-to-get-taken-on-a-bumpy-ride-by-warren-buffetts-electric-bus-company" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">COMMENTARY </a>BY PHILIP WEGMANN LOOKS AT A NEW ELECTRIC BUS FLEET ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD, POINTING TO THE COST OF THE VEHICLES AND THE FACT THAT THEY EXPERIENCED TECHNICAL PROBLEMS EARLY ON. THE PIECE NEGLECTS TO MENTION ANY BENEFITS OF THESE BUSES TO THE ENVIRONMENT OR PUBLIC HEALTH, NOR DOES IT REFERENCE THE FACT THAT THE VINEYARD TRANSIT AUTHORITY'S SLOW ROLLOUT OF THE BUSES WAS EXPECTED AND THAT <a href="https://www.mvtimes.com/2018/08/01/electric-bus-rollout-delayed/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">THEY PLAN ON DOUBLING THE SIZE OF THE ELECTRIC FLEET BY NEXT SUMMER</a>.WEGMANN HAS BEEN CLOSELY TIED TO THE KOCH NETWORK SINCE THE BEGINNING OF HIS CAREER. HE STARTED HIS WRITING CAREER AS A FELLOW OF THE <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/America%27s_Future_Foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">KOCH'S</a> AMERICA'S FUTURE FOUNDATION WRITING PROGRAM. WEGMANN IS CURRENTLY A FELLOW AT THE <a href="https://www.steamboatinstitute.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">STEAMBOAT INSTITUTE</a>, A RIGHT-WING THINK TANK <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Steamboat_Institute" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">AFFILIATED WITH THE KOCH-BACKED STATE POLICY NETWORK</a>. THIS YEAR, HE WAS <a href="https://www.steamboatinstitute.org/update/the-steamboat-institute-awards-the-2018-tony-blankley-fellowship-to-philip-wegmann/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">AWARDED THE STEAMBOAT INSTITUTE'S TONY BLANKLEY FELLOWSHIP</a>, WHICH CAME WITH A $10,000 STIPEND AND A HOST OF OTHER BENEFITS.PRIOR TO JOINING THE EXAMINER AS A STAFF WRITER, WEGMANN WORKED FOR CONSERVATIVE MEDIA OUTLET THE DAILY SIGNAL, WHICH IS PUBLISHED BY THE KOCH NETWORK-FUNDED <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/heritage-foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">HERITAGE FOUNDATION</a> AND WHICH ALSO FEATURES WORK BY FELLOW AMERICA'S FUTURE FOUNDATION ALUMNUS <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/michael-bastasch" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">MICHAEL BASTASCH</a>.ANOTHER <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/los-angeles-keeps-buying-electric-buses-from-china-and-they-keep-breaking" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">EXAMINER PIECE BY WEGMANN</a> SLAMS ELECTRIC BUSES IN LOS ANGELES. "THEY DON'T RUN, THEY ARE EXPENSIVE, AND THEY'RE CHINESE," WEGMANN WROTE. LA'S NEIGHBOR SANTA MONICA IS ALSO CONVERTING ITS BUSES TO ELECTRIC, AND <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/santa-monica-will-spend-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-on-buses-that-basically-no-one-rides" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">WEGMANN AGAIN ATTACKS THAT MOVE</a> IN ANOTHER COMMENTARY. HE AGAIN PLAYED THE COST CARD, AND CLAIMS, WITHOUT STATISTICAL EVIDENCE, THAT "BASICALLY NO ONE" RIDES THE NEW BUSES.WEGMANN CONTINUES TO RAIL AGAINST THE ELECTRIC BUS IN THE EXAMINER, AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK COMMENTING ON ATLANTA, GEORGIA'S PURCHASE OF A FLEET FROM THE CHINESE COMPANY BUILD YOUR DREAMS (BYD). "ONE EXPECTS CITIES LIKE ALBUQUERQUE AND LOS ANGELES TO DROP MILLIONS ON THE NOVELTY ENVIRONMENTAL FLEETS, NOT A DEEP RED STATE IN THE SOUTH THAT TRADITIONALLY VOTES REPUBLICAN AND CARES MORE FOR BUSINESS THAN GREEN PIPE DREAMS," <a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/georgia-helps-save-chinese-electric-buses-from-the-trump-trade-war" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">HE WRITES</a>.ROSS MARCHAND ECHOES THIS CRITICISM IN ANOTHER <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/electric-buses-will-only-leave-cities-seeing-red" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">EXAMINER OPINION PIECE</a>. MARCHAND IS DIRECTOR OF POLICY FOR THE <a href="https://www.protectingtaxpayers.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">TAXPAYERS PROTECTION ALLIANCE</a>, WHICH IS BASICALLY A <a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/renewable-energy-state-policy-attacks-report-2015/taxpayer-protection-alliance/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">FRONT GROUP FUNDED IN PART THROUGH KOCH-CONNECTED CHANNELS</a>. PREVIOUSLY MARCHAND INTERNED FOR THE <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/texas-public-policy-foundation" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">TEXAS PUBLIC POLICY FOUNDATION</a> AND THE <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-legislative-exchange-council" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL (ALEC)</a>, BOTH PART OF THE KOCH NETWORK.MARCHAND'S ARGUMENT IS PRIMARILY BASED ON EXPENSE, BUT HE EVEN CLAIMS THAT ELECTRIC BUSES COULD "PROVE DIRTIER THAN CONVENTIONAL FLEET DEPENDING ON WHICH ENERGY SOURCES AMERICA RELIES ON IN THE FUTURE." HE BACKS THAT STATEMENT WITH A LINK TO <a href="https://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/are-electric-cars-worse-environment-11242.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">A PIECE BY JONATHAN LESSER</a>, PRESIDENT OF THE CONSULTING FIRM CONTINENTAL ECONOMICS. LESSER HAS AN ANTAGONISTIC RECORD TOWARDS CLEAN ENERGY POLICIES, AND HE HAS "SUBMITTED EXPERT TESTIMONY AND REPORTS ON BEHALF OF MAJOR UTILITY AND FOSSIL FUEL INTERESTS LIKE EXELON, OCCIDENTAL, DUKE ENERGY, AND FIRSTENERGY," <a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/front-groups-spread-disinformation-ohio-energy-standard/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ACCORDING TO THE ENERGY AND POLICY INSTITUTE</a>.LESSER IS ALSO FREQUENTLY CONTRACTED BY THE <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/manhattan-institute-policy-research" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">MANHATTAN INSTITUTE, A THINK TANK THAT HAS RECEIVED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FUNDING FROM FOUNDATIONS IN THE KOCH DONOR NETWORK</a>.<h3>ELECTRIC BUS MYTHS, DEBUNKED</h3>THE CLAIMS LAID OUT BY ELECTRIC BUS ANTAGONISTS USE LIMITED VIEWS AND DOG WHISTLES OF "COMMUNISM" AND "ENVIRONMENTAL ZEALOTRY" TO ATTACK THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMPARED TO "CLEANER NATURAL GAS-BURNING BUSES." THE UNRELIABILITY ARGUMENT IS BACKED, FOR INSTANCE, BY AN <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-electric-buses-20180520-story.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">INVESTIGATIVE STORY IN THE LA TIMES</a> FROM MAY THAT LOOKS AT PROBLEMS WITH RANGE AND QUALITY ENCOUNTERED BY THE CHINESE E-BUS MANUFACTURING COMPANY BYD.THE TIMES ARTICLE RAISES LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT THE PRODUCTS DELIVERED BY BYD, AND THE COMPANY <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2018/05/21/buffett-backed-byd-answers-l-a-times-criticism-new-tech-brings-issues/#158789824065" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">RESPONDED WITH A STATEMENT</a> SAYING THAT GLITCHES ARE TO BE EXPECTED WITH "ANY GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGY." HOWEVER, THE ARTICLE REFERRED ONLY TO BYD BUSES, AND NOT THE ELECTRIC BUS INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE."THAT WAS AN ARTICLE ABOUT A COMPANY, BUT THE HEADLINE WAS ABOUT A CATEGORY," <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/byds-electric-bus-woes-threaten-to-tarnish-the-broader-industry#gs.npVYNco" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">RYAN POPPLE, CEO OF ELECTRIC BUS MAKER PROTERRA, TOLD GTM</a>. "I HOPE THAT PEOPLE DON'T PAINT A BROAD BRUSH OVER THE WHOLE CATEGORY." WHILE THE BYD BUSES STRUGGLED ON HILLS—A MAJOR FOCUS OF THE LA TIMES ARTICLE—COMPETITOR PROTERRA'S ELECTRIC BUSES HAVE BEEN TESTED, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE MOUNTAINS AROUND PARK CITY, UTAH, TO THE SATISFACTION OF LOCAL MUNICIPAL TRANSIT PLANNERS, WHO <a href="https://www.visitparkcity.com/blog/post/park-citys-free-bus-system-is-now-faster/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ORDERED SIX UNITS TO SERVE THE LOCAL BUS ROUTES</a>.HAD HE WANTED, WEGMANN COULD HAVE LOOKED EVEN CLOSER TO FIND A COUNTERPOINT TO THE PROBLEMATIC BYD BUSES IN LOS ANGELES. FOOTHILL TRANSIT, WHICH SERVES 22 CITIES FROM DOWNTOWN LA TO THE EAST, FIRST TESTED PROTERRA BUSES IN 2010 AND IS STILL USING THEM."THE TECHNOLOGY IS VERY ROBUST," DORAN BARNES, FOOTHILL'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/electric-bus-startup-proterra-shifts-into-higher-gear/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">TOLD THE SEATTLE TIMES</a>. "WE'VE HAD VERY FEW PROBLEMS." FOOTHILL TRANSIT NOW OPERATES 17 PROTERRA ELECTRIC BUSES, AND RECENTLY ORDERED 13 MORE, INCLUDING A NEW SET OF ALL-ELECTRIC DOUBLE DECKER BUSES. FOOTHILL TRANSIT HAS <a href="http://foothilltransit.org/foothill-transit-announces-all-electric-bus-fleet-by-2030/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">PLEDGED TO SERVE ITS HILLY REGION WITH AN EXCLUSIVELY ELECTRIC FLEET BY 2030</a>.SO DESPITE THE EARLY PERFORMANCE AND MECHANICAL ISSUES FROM AT LEAST ONE MANUFACTURER, AS THESE ISSUES ARE RESOLVED AND TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO IMPROVE, MUNICIPAL TRANSIT AUTHORITIES ACROSS THE U.S. CONTINUE TO ORDER MORE OF THE BUSES FROM BYDAND OTHER MAJOR ELECTRIC BUS MANUFACTURERS LIKE PROTERRA AND NEW FLYER.AS FOR THE COST ARGUMENT, IT IS TRUE THAT ELECTRIC BUSES COST MORE UP FRONT THAN THEIR DIESEL-POWERED COUNTERPARTS. HOWEVER, THOSE COSTS ARE FALLING, AND WHEN CONSIDERING THE ENTIRE LIFE CYCLE OF THE VEHICLE—PURCHASE PRICE, FUELS, OPERATIONAL AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSES—<a href="http://www.columbia.edu/_{ja3041/Electric%20Bus%20Analysis%20for%20NYC%20Transit%20by%20J%20Aber%20Columbia%20University%20-%20May%202016.pdf}" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ELECTRIC BUSES PROVE TO BE CHEAPER THAN THEIR DIESEL COUNTERPARTS</a>.MOREOVER, ACCORDING TO <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-01/electric-buses-will-take-over-half-the-world-by-2025" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">BNEF</a>, THE PROJECTED DECLINE IN BATTERY COSTS LIKELY MAKE ELECTRIC BUSES COST-COMPETITIVE WITH DIESEL AT THE POINT OF PURCHASE BY 2026. BY THEN, THE NUMBER OF ELECTRIC BUSES ON THE ROAD IS EXPECTED TO MORE THAN TRIPLE AND MAKE UP NEARLY HALF OF THE WORLDWIDE CITY BUS FLEETS.THERE ARE SOLID REASONS BEHIND THIS TREND. ELECTRIC BUSES ARE BETTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH (REDUCING LOCAL AIR POLLUTION FROM BURNING DIESEL), BETTER FOR THE CLIMATE (INCREASING EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS), AND MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE IN TERMS OF THEIR FULL COST OF MOVING PASSENGERS, WHEN FACTORING IN MAINTENANCE AND FUEL COST-SAVINGS. THESE VARIOUS BENEFITS ARE EXPLAINED IN A <a href="https://uspirg.org/reports/usp/electric-buses-clean-transportation-healthier-neighborhoods-and-cleaner-air" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">MAY 2018 REPORT FROM U.S. PIRG AND ENVIRONMENT AMERICA</a>.IN TERMS OF PUBLIC HEALTH, THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT ELECTRIC IS BETTER. DIESEL EXHAUST IS CLASSIFIED BY THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) AS A LIKELY CARCINOGEN, AND IT IS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS A CANCER-CAUSING AGENT THAT IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR RESPIRATORY AND OTHER ILLNESSES. CHICAGO ESTIMATES THAT ITS ELECTRIC BUSES WILL RESULT IN $55,000 IN HEALTHCARE SAVINGS ANNUALLY PER BUS, WHILE A COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANALYSIS FOR NEW YORK CITY PEGS IT AT $150,000 PER BUS.ANOTHER OBVIOUS BENEFIT OF SHIFTING FROM DIESEL TO ELECTRIC BUSES IS THE REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR. IN THE U.S. ALONE, CONVERTING TRANSIT BUSES TO ELECTRIC COULD SAVE OVER 2 MILLION TONS OF EMISSIONS EACH YEAR, A CLEAR WIN FOR THE CLIMATE.ELECTRIC BUSES ALSO HAVE LOWER OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS. AS WITH OTHER ELECTRIC VEHICLES, THERE IS NO FUEL COST. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180206213131/http:/www.transitchicago.com/electricbus" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY</a> ESTIMATES IT SAVES $25,000 ANNUALLY IN NET FUEL COSTS FOR EACH BUS.FURTHERMORE, THE U.S. PIRG <a href="https://uspirg.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/Electric%20Buses%20-%20National%20-%20May%202018%20web.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">REPORT STATES</a> THAT:<blockquote style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 25px; border-left: 5px solid rgb(82, 149, 70); padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px;">"ACCORDING TO STUDIES OF ELECTRIC BUSES CURRENTLY IN OPERATION, ELECTRIC BUSES SAVE AT LEAST $0.19 PER MILE IN LOWER MAINTENANCE COSTS. OVER THE LIFETIME OF THE BUS, AN ELECTRIC TRANSIT BUS CAN AVOID HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN OPERATING COSTS OVER AN EQUIVALENT DIESEL OR NATURAL GAS BUS, FROM LOWER FUEL AND MAINTENANCE COSTS."</blockquote>WHILE THE E-BUS COSTS MORE UPFRONT, THE FUEL AND MAINTENANCE COST-SAVINGS MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE, USUALLY WITHIN 10 YEARS.IMPROVED MODELS AND BETTER BATTERY TECHNOLOGY ARE MOVING TOWARD SOLVING RELIABILITY ISSUES, TOO. THE NEWER ELECTRIC BUS MODELS APPARENTLY CAN TRAVEL UP TO 200 MILES OR MORE ON A SINGLE CHARGE. PROTERRA MAKES E-BUSES DESIGNED TO GO 200 TO 350 MILES, FOR EXAMPLE. ELECTRIC BUSES ALSO HAVE FEWER PARTS THAN DIESEL BUSES, WHICH WOULD THEORETICALLY REQUIRE LESS MAINTENANCE.GIVEN THESE CONSIDERATIONS, MANY CITIES ARE NOW ANNOUNCING TRANSITIONS TO ELECTRIC BUS FLEETS. NEW YORK CITY ANNOUNCED IN APRIL ITS PLANS TO ELECTRIFY ITS FLEET BY 2040. LOS ANGELES IS COMMITTED TO AN ENTIRELY ZERO-EMISSIONS FLEET BY 2030. SEATTLE IS PURCHASING 120 E-BUSES BY 2020 AND HAS COMMITTED TO ELECTRIFYING ITS ENTIRE FLEET BY 2040.ELECTRIC BUSES ARE MOVING TOWARD THE MAINSTREAM, DESPITE ATTACKS FROM OIL INDUSTRY APOLOGISTS.</div></div><h1 class="headline" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CALIF. AND N.Y. PUT BIG MONEY ON CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE</h1><section class="homepage byline" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0.25em 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: start; text-transform: none;">By <a href="https://www.eenews.net/staff/David_Ferris" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: nowrap;">David Ferris</a> in <a href="https://www.eenews.net/ew" class="publication ew" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: nowrap; font-weight: bold;">Energywire</a> <time datetime="2018-06-01 07:00:46 -0400" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">7:00 AM EDT</time></section><a href="https://www.eenews.net/energywire/stories/1060083169" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;"> </a><section class="excerpt" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;">TWO STATES YESTERDAY MADE RECORD-SETTING BETS ON ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION, WITH CALIFORNIA REGULATORS APPROVING UTILITIES TO SPEND $738 MILLION AND NEW YORK'S GOVERNOR PLEDGING UP TO $250 MILLION.</section>=<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/06/25/america-rising-squared-report-bashes-evs-using-same-rare-earth-metals-gas-powered-cars">HTTPS://WWW.DESMOGBLOG.COM/2017/06/25/AMERICA-RISING-SQUARED-REPORT-BASHES-EVS-USING-SAME-RARE-EARTH-METALS-GAS-POWERED-CARS</a>NO LINK
 A GOP-TIED GROUP DEVOTED TO PROMOTING ALLEGED HYPOCRISY AMONG CLIMATE ACTION ADVOCATES JUST RELEASED A NEW REPORT THAT “EXPOSES THE HORRIBLE HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS” OF SOLAR PANELS AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES. THE GROUP, AMERICA RISING SQUARED (AR2), AS DESMOG HAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, LAUNCHED LAST YEAR AND PAYS ACTIVISTS TO FOLLOW AND FILM CLIMATE ADVOCATES IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES. THE NEWLY PUBLISHED WHITE PAPER, THE GROUP’S FIRST SUCH FORMAL REPORT, ATTEMPTS TO PAINT A DIRTY PICTURE OF “CLEAN ENERGY,” CLAIMING THAT THE “ENVIRONMENTALIST LEFT” IGNORES THE DOWNSIDES OF RARE EARTH MINERALS THAT ARE USED IN SOLAR PANELS AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES.HERE’S WHAT THE WHITE PAPER DOESN’T MENTION: MANY OF THE VERY SAME RARE EARTH MINERALS THAT THE AR2 REPORT BASHES ARE CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF CELL PHONES, COMPUTERS, CAMERAS, MILITARY AND DEFENSE EQUIPMENT, AND EVEN TRADITIONAL GAS-POWERED VEHICLES. WHAT’S MORE, THE PETROLEUM REFINING PROCESS IS CRITICALLY DEPENDENT ON SOME OF THE SAME RARE EARTHS THAT AR2 LAMBASTS IN THIS WHITE PAPER.
 RARE EARTHS ARE PLAGUED WITH PROBLEMS…BUT THAT’S AN ECONOMY-WIDE ISSUE, NOT UNIQUE TO CLEAN ENERGYTO BE SURE, THE MINING AND PRODUCTION OF RARE EARTH MINERALS HAS SOME SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. FEW, IF ANY, SOLAR OR ELECTRIC VEHICLE ADVOCATES WOULD ARGUE THAT. ENVIRONMENTALISTS HAVE BEEN RAISING RED FLAGS ABOUT RARE EARTHS FOR AT LEAST A DECADE NOW, AS THEY HAVE BECOME SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY, LIKE THE COMPUTERS THAT THE AR2 WHITE PAPER WAS CREATED ON. IN 2013, YALE ENVIRONMENT 360 RAN A DEEPLY REPORTED ARTICLE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES POSED BY RARE EARTHS MINING. LAST YEAR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHED AN EVEN MORE STARTLING REPORT ABOUT COBALT MINING, WHICH COINCIDED WITH A WASHINGTON POST INVESTIGATION ON THE SAME ISSUE, TO FEED LITHIUM-ION BATTERY DEMAND. TECHNICALLY, COBALT ISN’T A RARE EARTH MINERAL—A DISTINCTION THE AR2 REPORT FAILS TO MAKE (SEE CHART BELOW)—BUT CRITICISMS OF ITS PRODUCTION ARE STILL VALID. THIS ISN’T A PROBLEM THAT IS – OR CAN BE – IGNORED BY ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND CLEAN ENERGY ADVOCATES.BUT TO CLAIM THAT THESE PROBLEMS TRACK TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND SOLAR PANELS ALONE IS JUST PLAIN DECEPTIVE.AS EVEN KENNETH GREEN OF THE CONSERVATIVE AND FOSSIL FUEL-FRIENDLY AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE PUT IT:RARE EARTHS ARE CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN MANY APPLICATIONS. FIGHTER JET ENGINES, SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND UNDERWATER MINE DETECTION EQUIPMENT ALL REQUIRE RARE EARTH ELEMENTS. SO DO MEDICAL DEVICES, HYBRID-VEHICLE ENGINES AND WIND TURBINES.
 AND YET YOU DON’T FIND AR2 CALLING OUT THE “HORRIBLE HUMAN COSTS” OF FIGHTER JET ENGINES OR SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS OR MEDICAL DEVICES OR UNDERWATER MINE DETECTION EQUIPMENT.
 
 
 GAS-POWERED CARS RELY ON RARE EARTHS TOOMUCH OF THE WHITE PAPER IS DEVOTED TO THE PARTICULAR RARE EARTHS AND OTHER MATERIALS THAT ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES DEPEND ON. AND IT’S TRUE THAT THE LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES THAT POWER MANY EVS ARE DEPENDENT ON SOME TROUBLESOME MATERIALS, INCLUDING GRAPHITE, WHICH IS NOT A RARE EARTH METAL BUT HAS SOME PARTICULARLY TROUBLING HEALTH IMPACTS IN THE AREAS IT IS PRODUCED, AS ILLUSTRATED IN THIS WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE THAT AR2 CITES. (NOTE THE ARTICLE’S HEADLINE, THOUGH: “IN YOUR PHONE, IN THEIR AIR.” OR THE WEB-HEADING: “CHINA POLLUTION CAUSED BY GRAPHITE MINING FOR SMARTPHONE BATTERIES.” AGAIN, THIS ISN’T JUST AN EV PROBLEM.)
 IT’S ALSO TRUE, HOWEVER, THAT TRADITIONAL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLES—THOSE THAT RUN ON GAS AND DIESEL—ALSO RELY ON RARE EARTHS, BOTH IN THE VEHICLES THEMSELVES, AND THROUGH THE VERY PRODUCTION OF THE GASOLINE AND DIESEL THAT POWER THEM....<div class="subscriber-preview" style="box-sizing: border-box;">RE: THE AUG. 27 PRO AND CON COLUMNS "SHOULD CALIFORNIA EXTEND ITS 'TESLA REBATES'?</div><div class="subscriber-preview" style="box-sizing: border-box;">H. STERLING BURNETT'S RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION OF TESLA REBATES WAS WELL WRITTEN BUT FULL OF WHAT I SUSPECTED WERE REALLY ARGUMENTS AGAINST ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN GENERAL. THIS LED ME TO RESEARCH MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THE ORGANIZATION THAT EMPLOYS HIM. MY SUSPICIONS WERE CONFIRMED WHEN I CHECKED THE CENTER FOR MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY'S WEBSITE AND FOUND THAT THE HEARTLAND INSTITUTE IS A RIGHT-WING LIBERTARIAN THINK TANK AND AND ACCORDING TO THE ECONOMIST IS ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE "CLIMATE DENIER" ORGANIZATIONS IN THE U.S. WHICH RECEIVES THE BULK OF ITS FUNDING FROM THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY, THE KOCH BROTHERS AND OTHER CLIMATE CHANGE DENIER GROUPS. IN ESSENCE THE ARGUMENTS PUT FORTH BY BURNETT ARE JUST REFORMATTED AND REGURGITATED ARGUMENTS THAT ARGUE THAT CLIMATE CHANGE ISN'T REAL AND THAT WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT.</div><div>=</div><div>BIZ</div><div><div class="p p1" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="article-summary article-width" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 25px; width: 640px;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-stretch: normal;">SUMMARY</h2><div class="a-sum" itemprop="description" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 0px 0px 25px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px;">CALIFORNIA "TESLA BILL" HAS BEEN REDUCED TO A STUDY AND FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES IS DEAD.THE COMPANY IS NOW FACING A HUGE COMPETITIVE ASP HEADWIND DUE TO EXPIRING FEDERAL SUBSIDIES.WE BELIEVE THAT EVEN 200K PER YEAR DEMAND FOR MODEL 3 COULD BE A STRETCH ONCE THE COMPANY EXHAUSTS ITS RESERVATION QUEUE.</div></div></div><div class="sa-art article-width" id="a-body" itemprop="articleBody" style="box-sizing: border-box; width: 640px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 26px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div class="p p1" style="box-sizing: border-box;">ON FRIDAY, CALIFORNIA SENATE EFFECTIVELY SCRAPPED <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB1184" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; outline: 0px;">AB-1184</a>, A BILL FOR EV REBATES THAT WAS INFAMOUSLY DUBBED THE “<a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4090018-teslas-attempts-raid-california-coffers-unlikely-fruitful" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; outline: 0px;">TESLA BILL</a>”.THE BILL, WHICH WAS <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4102931-tesla-attempts-raid-california-coffers-stalls-senate" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; outline: 0px;">WATERED DOWN HEAVILY</a> LAST WEEK, HAS BEEN FURTHER WATERED DOWN, STRIPPED OF REFERENCE TO FUNDING, AND REDUCED TO A STUDY. THE ESSENCE OF THE REVISED BILL NOW BOILS DOWN TO THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH:“SEC. 2.(A) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2019, THE STATE AIR RESOURCES BOARD, PURSUANT TO SECTION 9795 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE, SHALL SUBMIT TO THE LEGISLATURE A REPORT REGARDING THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT INCLUDES BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING:(1) THE FUNDING LEVELS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT CONTINUOUS, YEAR-ROUND OPERATION OF EACH OF ITS ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLE AND NEAR-ZERO EMISSION VEHICLE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS.(2) CHANGES TO THE ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO INCREASE MARKET PENETRATION OF ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES.(B) THE STATE AIR RESOURCES BOARD MAY CONTRACT WITH A THIRD PARTY FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE REPORT REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (A).”IN EFFECT, WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MONSTROUS REBATES IN FAVOR OF TESLA (<a href="https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/TSLA" symbol="TSLA" data_retrieved="0" class="ticker-link" followers_count="608196" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; outline: 0px;">TSLA</a>) HAVE NOW DISAPPEARED. TO BE SURE, THE DEATH OF THE REBATE IS NOT THAT SIGNIFICANT TO TESLA GIVEN THAT EARLIER REVISIONS ALREADY REDUCED POTENTIAL BENEFITS.HOWEVER, THERE SHOULD BE LITTLE QUESTION THAT, AS THE BILL WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN, TESLA MANAGEMENT WAS HOPING THAT THIS BILL WILL HELP THE COMPANY RIDE OUT THE FEDERAL CREDIT PHASE OUT. THE FAILURE OF THE BILL SHOWS A BIG CHALLENGE THAT TESLA FACES AS THE FEDERAL $7500 REBATE IS SET TO <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/research/9110881-enertuition/4937146-tesla-policy-headwinds-sales-forecast" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; outline: 0px;">PHASE OUT</a> IN 2018.FOR REFERENCE, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/irb/2009-48_IRB/ar09.html" rel="nofollow" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; outline: 0px;">IRS DEFINES</a> THE PHASE-OUT LANGUAGE AS FOLLOWS:“THE NEW QUALIFIED PLUG-IN ELECTRIC DRIVE MOTOR VEHICLE CREDIT PHASES OUT FOR A MANUFACTURER'S VEHICLES OVER THE ONE-YEAR PERIOD BEGINNING WITH THE SECOND CALENDAR QUARTER AFTER THE CALENDAR QUARTER IN WHICH AT LEAST 200,000 QUALIFYING VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY THAT MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN SOLD FOR USE IN THE UNITED STATES (DETERMINED ON A CUMULATIVE BASIS FOR SALES AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2009) ("PHASE-OUT PERIOD"). QUALIFYING VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY THAT MANUFACTURER ARE ELIGIBLE FOR 50 PERCENT OF THE CREDIT IF ACQUIRED IN THE FIRST TWO-QUARTERS OF THE PHASE-OUT PERIOD AND 25 PERCENT OF THE CREDIT IF ACQUIRED IN THE THIRD OR FOURTH QUARTER OF THE PHASE-OUT PERIOD. VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY THAT MANUFACTURER ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A CREDIT IF ACQUIRED AFTER THE PHASE-OUT PERIOD.”IN THE CASE OF TESLA, ASSUMING MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE FOR THE MODEL 3 RAMP HOLDS, THE REBATE PHASE-OUT TIMELINE COULD BE AS FOLLOWS:$7,500 FEDERAL TAX CREDIT THROUGH 03/31/18$3,750 FEDERAL TAX CREDIT 04/01/18 THROUGH 09/31/18$1,875 FEDERAL TAX CREDIT 10/01/18 THROUGH 03/31/19NO FEDERAL TAX CREDIT AFTER 03/31/19HOWEVER, WE ARE SKEPTICAL MODEL 3 RAMP WILL GO PER MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE. INSTEAD, WE EXPECT THE RAMP TO BE SLOW AND THE REBATE PHASE OUT SCHEDULE TO BE AS FOLLOWS:$7,500 FEDERAL TAX CREDIT THROUGH 06/30/18$3,750 FEDERAL TAX CREDIT 07/01/18 THROUGH 12/31/18$1,875 FEDERAL TAX CREDIT 01/01/19 THROUGH 06/30/19NO FEDERAL TAX CREDIT AFTER 06/30/19IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT NONE OF TESLA’S COMPETITORS ARE RAMPING BEV PRODUCTION AS AGGRESSIVELY AS TESLA AND ARE NOT FACING A SIMILAR REBATE PHASE OUT TIMELINE. CONSEQUENTLY, TESLA IS LIKELY TO BE AT A RELATIVE SUBSIDY DISADVANTAGE COMPARED TO OTHER EV MANUFACTURERS.GENERAL MOTOR’S (<a href="https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/GM" symbol="GM" data_retrieved="0" class="ticker-link" followers_count="168722" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; outline: 0px;">GM</a>) <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4074650-chevy-bolt-tell-us-tesla-model-3-prospects" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; outline: 0px;">BOLT</a> AND NISSAN MOTOR’S (<a href="https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/NSANY" symbol="NSANY" data_retrieved="0" class="ticker-link" followers_count="4442" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; outline: 0px;">OTCPK:NSANY</a>) <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/research/9110881-enertuition/5038701-nissan-leaf-will-likely-wipeout-significant-part-model-3-worldwide-demand" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; outline: 0px;">LEAF, IN PARTICULAR</a>, ARE SIGNIFICANT COMPETITIVE THREATS TO MODEL 3.THE FOLLOWING TABLE REPRESENTS OUR ESTIMATE OF THE RELATIVE DISADVANTAGE OF TESLA COMPARED TO OTHER MANUFACTURERS....</div></div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/the-climate-group-cop23-2509098433.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">HTTPS://WWW.ECOWATCH.COM/THE-CLIMATE-GROUP-COP23-2509098433.HTML</a></div><div>
</div><div>ELECT CARS</div><div>
</div><div></div>TESLA BATTERIES PR---<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/easyjet-electric-planes-2490546223.html">HTTPS://WWW.ECOWATCH.COM/EASYJET-ELECTRIC-PLANES-2490546223.HTML</a>=<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/uk-ban-petrol-diesel-2465723145.html">HTTPS://WWW.ECOWATCH.COM/UK-BAN-PETROL-DIESEL-2465723145.HTML</a>THE UK HAS FOLLOWED FRANCE IN BANNING THE SALE OF NEW PETROL AND DIESEL CARS BY 2040, AS PART OF ITS PLAN TO TACKLE CHRONIC <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">AIR POLLUTION</a> IN CITIES. THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN COMING UNDER INTENSE PRESSURE TO ACT, WITH AN ESTIMATED 40,000 PEOPLE DYING PREMATURELY A YEAR FROM AIR POLLUTION.A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN TOLD THE PRESS, "POOR AIR QUALITY IS THE BIGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL RISK TO PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE UK AND THIS GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED TO TAKE STRONG ACTION IN THE SHORTEST TIME POSSIBLE."THAT IS WHY WE ARE PROVIDING COUNCILS WITH NEW FUNDING TO ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL PLANS, AS PART OF AN AMBITIOUS £3BN [$3.9 BILLION] PROGRAM TO CLEAN UP DIRTY AIR AROUND OUR ROADS."BUT CRITICS HAVE SAID THE BAN IS ALREADY "TOO LITTLE TOO LATE," WITH MANY HIGHLY CRITICAL OF THE PROPOSALS."AIR POLLUTION IS POISONING OUR CHILDREN AND LEADING TO CAUSING AVOIDABLE DEATHS ACROSS THE COUNTRY," SAID JENNY RANDERSON, OPPOSITION LIBERAL DEMOCRAT SHADOW TRANSPORT SECRETARY. "INSTEAD OF PROPERLY FIGHTING THIS SILENT KILLER, THE GOVERNMENT HAS FLIP-FLOPPED, OFFERING TAX BREAKS FOR CARS THAT THEY ARE NOW BANNING. THE GOVERNMENT'S FEEBLE ATTEMPTS TO TACKLE AIR POLLUTION ARE TOO LITTLE TOO LATE."THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE CALLED FOR ALL NEW DIESEL SALES TO END BY 2025 AND A SCRAPPAGE SCHEME TO HELP DRIVERS CONVERT TO <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">GREENER VEHICLES</a>. WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT FIGHTING AIR POLLUTION, THIS GOVERNMENT IS NOT."FORMER LABOUR LEADER <a href="https://twitter.com/Ed_Miliband/status/889981200563150848" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">ED MILLIBAND</a> TWEETED THIS MORNING, "FEAR THAT NEW CAR PETROL/DIESEL BAN IN 23 YEARS TIME IS SMOKESCREEN FOR WEAK MEASURES TO TACKLE 40,000 DEATHS A YEAR FROM AIR POLLUTION NOW."GREEN PARTY CO-LEADER <a href="https://t.co/Cr4iIBvOWJ" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">CAROLINE LUCAS</a> ALSO TWEETED, "WELCOME START BUT NEED URGENT PLAN TO CUT AIR POLLUTION NOW—PROPER CLEAN AIR ZONES, FUNDED DIESEL SCRAPPAGE, INVEST IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT."AREEBA HAMID, THE CLEAN AIR CAMPAIGNER AT <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jul/25/britain-to-ban-sale-of-all-diesel-and-petrol-cars-and-vans-from-2040" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">GREENPEACE,</a> ADDED, "THE HIGH COURT WAS CLEAR THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST BRING DOWN TOXIC AIR POLLUTION IN THE UK IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME. THIS PLAN IS STILL MILES AWAY FROM THAT."THE GOVERNMENT PLAN WILL BE RELEASED ON WEDNESDAY AFTER IT WAS FORCED IN THE COURTS TO RELEASE ITS CLEAN AIR STRATEGY AFTER MONTHS OF LEGAL IN-FIGHTING. A JUDGE HAD RULED THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S ORIGINAL PLANS WERE <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/02/high-court-rules-uk-government-plans-to-tackle-air-pollution-are-illegal" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">SO BAD AS TO BE UNLAWFUL</a>....<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/future-electric-cars-2457903804.html">HTTPS://WWW.ECOWATCH.COM/FUTURE-ELECTRIC-CARS-2457903804.HTML</a><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/koch-brothers-electric-cars-2456866524.html">HTTPS://WWW.ECOWATCH.COM/KOCH-BROTHERS-ELECTRIC-CARS-2456866524.HTML</a><div class="headline-container" style="margin-top: 10px;"><h1 class="headline h1" style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; line-height: 31px;">KOCH BROTHERS LAUNCH ATTACK TO KILL ELECTRIC CARS</h1></div><div id="utm_campaign" style="margin-top: 10px;"> <div class="article-body body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url selectionShareable" data-url="https://www.ecowatch.com/koch-brothers-electric-cars-2456866524.html" data-headline="Koch Brothers Launch Attack to Kill Electric Cars" data-elid="2456866524" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px;"><div class="article-description body-description" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">BY BEN JERVEY<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/fueling-us-forward" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">FUELING U.S. FORWARD</a>, THE KOCH-FUNDED CAMPAIGN TO "REBRAND" FOSSIL FUELS AS "POSITIVE" AND "SUSTAINABLE," HAS RELEASED A NEW <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_WscmJSB2c" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">VIDEO</a> ATTACKING THE DIRTY SECRETS OF ELECTRIC CARS, SIGNALING A POSSIBLE STRATEGIC PIVOT FROM STRAIGHTFORWARD FOSSIL FUEL CHEERLEADING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) AND CLEAN ENERGY BASHING.THE VIDEO AND ACCOMPANYING <a href="https://fuelingusforward.com/dirty-secrets-electric-cars/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">DIRTY SECRETS OF ELECTRIC CARS WEB PAGE</a> FEATURE BLATANT FACTUAL ERRORS, MISLEADING STATEMENTS AND GLARING OMISSIONS (ALL OF WHICH WILL BE DEBUNKED THOROUGHLY BELOW), WHILE ESSENTIALLY ATTACKING <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">ELECTRIC CARS</a> FOR USING THE SAME MATERIALS NEEDED TO MANUFACTURE CELL PHONES, LAPTOPS, DEFENSE EQUIPMENT AND GAS-POWERED CARS, AND WHICH ARE EVEN A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE VERY OIL REFINING PROCESSES THAT FORM THE FOUNDATION OF THE <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/koch-brothers" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">KOCH</a> FORTUNES.WHEN FUELING U.S. FORWARD LAUNCHED LAST AUGUST, THE ORGANIZATION'S PRESIDENT <a href="http://www.kochvsclean.com/charles-drevna/" target="blank" style="text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">CHARLES DREVNA</a> DESCRIBED THE CAMPAIGN AS AN EFFORT TO REBRAND FOSSIL FUELS BY FOCUSING ON THE "POSITIVE" ASPECTS OF COAL, OIL AND GAS. THIS <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_WscmJSB2c" target="blank" style="text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">NEWLY RELEASED VIDEO</a> SEEMS TO FURTHER CONFIRM INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/koch-electric-vehicles_us_56c4d63ce4b0b40245c8cbf6" target="blank" style="text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">PETER STONE'S REPORTING FROM LAST SPRING</a>THAT THE KOCHS WERE "PLOTTING A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ASSAULT ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES."HOW DO WE KNOW THAT FUELING U.S. FORWARD IS THIS KOCH-FUNDED CAMPAIGN? FIRST, CHARLES DREVNA, WHO IS LEADING THE EFFORT, DEVELOPED THE CONCEPT WHILE SERVING AS A DISTINGUISHED SENIOR FELLOW AT THE <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/institute-energy-research" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY RESEARCH</a>, A PRO-FOSSIL FUEL THINK TANK THAT WAS PARTIALLY FOUNDED BY CHARLES KOCH AND THAT IS RUN BY A <a href="http://www.kochvsclean.com/thomas-pyle/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">LONGTIME LOBBYIST FOR KOCH INDUSTRIES</a>. SECOND, AND MORE CONCRETELY, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2016/08/14/new-koch-back-campaign-rolled-out-red-state-gathering-aims-promote-positives-fossil-fuels" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">DREVNA TOLD DESMOG'S SHARON KELLY</a> THAT HE WAS WORKING WITH <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/koch-industries-inc" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">KOCH INDUSTRIES</a>' BOARD MEMBER (AND LONGTIME KOCH BROTHERS' CONFIDANT) <a href="http://www.kochvsclean.com/james-mahoney/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">JAMES MAHONEY</a> ON THE CAMPAIGN AND THAT IT WAS FUNDED BY "ONE OF THE BROTHERS."ECHOES OF AMERICA RISING SQUARED<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/fueling-us-forward" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">FUELING U.S. FORWARD</a> AND <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/america-rising-llc-pac-america-rising-squared-definers-public-affairs" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">AMERICA RISING SQUARED (OR AR2)</a> HAVE NO PUBLIC AFFILIATION. YET WITHIN A FEW WEEKS IN JUNE, BOTH GROUPS LAUNCHED ATTACKS ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES USING THE SAME MISLEADING ARGUMENTS AND NEARLY IDENTICAL LANGUAGE. WHILE THE FORMER GROUP IS A KNOWN KOCH-FUNDED CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE FOSSIL FUELS, THE LATTER HAS <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2016/08/06/how-america-rising-ties-gop-establishment-stalkers-harassing-bill-mckibben-and-tom-steyer" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">CLOSE TIES TO THE GOP ESTABLISHMENT</a>, AND HAS <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/america-rising-llc-pac-america-rising-squared-definers-public-affairs" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">INVESTED HEAVILY IN PROMOTING ALLEGED HYPOCRISY AMONG CLIMATE ACTION ADVOCATES</a>, EVEN PAYING "TRACKERS" TO FOLLOW AROUND THE LIKES OF TOM STEYER AND <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/community/bill_mckibben/" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">BILL MCKIBBEN</a>.IN JUNE, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/06/25/america-rising-squared-report-bashes-evs-using-same-rare-earth-metals-gas-powered-cars" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">AS DESMOG REPORTED</a>, AR2 PUBLISHED A WHITE PAPER THAT PURPORTS TO REVEAL THE "HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS OF 'CLEAN ENERGY,'" TAKING ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/solar" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">SOLAR</a> PANELS TO TASK FOR THEIR RELIANCE ON RARE EARTH METALS. AS WE WROTE AT THE TIME:HERE'S WHAT THE WHITE PAPER DOESN'T MENTION: MANY OF THE VERY SAME RARE EARTH MINERALS THAT THE AR2 REPORT BASHES ARE CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF CELL PHONES, COMPUTERS, CAMERAS, MILITARY AND DEFENSE EQUIPMENT, AND EVEN TRADITIONAL GAS-POWERED VEHICLES. WHAT'S MORE, THE PETROLEUM REFINING PROCESS IS CRITICALLY DEPENDENT ON SOME OF THE SAME RARE EARTHS THAT AR2 LAMBASTS IN THIS WHITE PAPER.THE NEW VIDEO FROM FUELING U.S. FORWARD ECHOES THE AR2 TALKING POINTS, ALMOST TO THE WORD. (FOR A CLOSER ANALYSIS OF THE AR2 REPORT, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/06/25/america-rising-squared-report-bashes-evs-using-same-rare-earth-metals-gas-powered-cars" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">SEE THE ORIGINAL DESMOG ARTICLE</a>).DEBUNKING THE NEW FUELING U.S. FORWARD ELECTRIC CAR ATTACK VIDEO<div id="AdThrive_Content_2_desktop" class="adthrive-ad adthrive-dynamic adthrive-content" data-google-query-id="CKL76PrEjtUCFVA7TwodwfIKjw" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center; overflow-x: visible !important;">
</div>THE FUELING U.S. FORWARD VIDEO (WHICH IS STILL UNLISTED ON YOUTUBE, BUT AVAILABLE TO BE SHARED AND VIEWED BY ANYONE WITH THE LINK) IS SHORT ENOUGH THAT WE CAN WALK THROUGH IT LINE BY LINE."THIS IS AN ELECTRIC CAR/ CAR COMPANIES SAY IT'S A CLEAN ALTERNATIVE/ BUT ELECTRIC CARS ARE MORE TOXIC TO HUMANS THAN AVERAGE CARS."THIS DEPENDS ON AN EXCEEDINGLY NARROW DEFINITION OF "TOXIC." IF YOU ONLY CONSIDER THE MATERIALS THAT GO INTO THE BATTERIES OF ELECTRIC CARS VERSUS THE BATTERIES OF "AVERAGE" CARS, THEN THIS IS MAYBE DEFENSIBLE. BUT IF YOU CONSIDER THE MATERIALS THAT GO INTO THE ENTIRE VEHICLE, AS WELL AS THE FUEL USED TO POWER THE VEHICLE, THAN EVS ARE FAR CLEANER AND LESS TOXIC.FIRST, THERE'S THE FACT THAT GAS-POWERED VEHICLES REQUIRE SOME OF THE SAME "TOXIC" RARE EARTH METALS THAT THE VIDEO CRITICIZES. (MORE ON THAT BELOW). THEN THERE'S THE EVEN BIGGER ISSUE THAT TAILPIPE EMISSIONS—INCLUDING OZONE, PARTICULATE MATTER AND OTHER SMOG-FORMING CHEMICALS—ARE THE DOMINANT SOURCE OF GROUND LEVEL AIR POLLUTION, AND NEARLY ONE HALF OF ALL AMERICANS LIVE IN AREAS THAT <a href="https://www.epa.gov/learn-issues/air-resources#air-pollution" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">DON'T MEET FEDERAL MINIMUM AIR QUALITY STANDARDS</a>. IN FACT, EMISSIONS FROM ROAD TRANSPORTATION CAUSE ROUGHLY 53,000 PREMATURE DEATHS EVERY YEAR IN THE U.S., <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2013/study-air-pollution-causes-200000-early-deaths-each-year-in-the-us-0829" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">ACCORDING TO MIT RESEARCHERS</a>."THEIR BATTERIES ARE MADE OF RARE EARTH METALS/ LIKE COBALT, LITHIUM…"FIRST, A FACT CHECK: COBALT AND LITHIUM AREN'T RARE EARTH METALS. THIS ISN'T TO SAY THEY AREN'T PROBLEMATIC—COBALT MINING IN PARTICULAR IS PLAGUED BY SOME VERY SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL AND LABOR PROBLEMS, AS DOCUMENTED IN IN-DEPTH <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/09/electric-cars-running-on-child-labour/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">REPORTS BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL</a> AND <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/business/batteries/congo-cobalt-mining-for-lithium-ion-battery/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">THE WASHINGTON POST</a>. BUT THESE PROBLEMS ARE ECONOMY-WIDE. COBALT IS USED WIDELY IN THE LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES THAT POWER MOST CELL PHONES AND LAPTOPS. (SEE THE SUBHEADLINE OF THE <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/business/batteries/congo-cobalt-mining-for-lithium-ion-battery/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">VERY WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE THAT THE FUSF VIDEO CITES</a>: TRACING THE PATH FROM DEADLY HAND-DUG MINES IN CONGO TO CONSUMERS' PHONES AND LAPTOPS). THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT LITHIUM-ION BATTERY MANUFACTURERS HAVE TO CLEAN UP THEIR SUPPLY CHAINS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT APPLE AND PANASONIC AND SAMSUNG ARE AS RESPONSIBLE FOR AS <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/tesla" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">TESLA</a> AND FORD AND GENERAL MOTORS."…AND CERIUM"ACTUALLY, CERIUM IS USED IN NICKEL METAL HYDRIDE BATTERIES THAT ARE COMMON IN HYBRID MOTORS, BUT ISN'T USED IN THE LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES THAT HAVE BEEN UTILIZED IN PLUG-IN VEHICLES IN NEARLY A DECADE.BUT CERIUM OXIDES ARE ALSO FOUND ON EVERY CATALYTIC CONVERTER FITTED INTO AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION VEHICLE. THAT'S RIGHT—EVERY GAS-POWERED CAR RELIES ON THIS RARE EARTH METAL THAT FUELING U.S. FORWARD CRITICIZES."THAT ARE EXTRACTED MOSTLY OVERSEAS/ FROM COUNTRIES LIKE CHINA/ AND CONGO/ WHERE POLLUTION IS RAMPANT/ AND CHILDREN ARE FORCED INTO OPPRESSIVE LABOR."AGAIN, ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS MUST DO THEIR PART TO CLEAN UP THE MINING OF THESE METALS. BUT SO DO THE CELL PHONE AND LAPTOP MAKERS, COMPANIES THAT SUPPLY COMMUNICATIONS AND COMBAT EQUIPMENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM OPERATORS, MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURERS, AND SO ON."THESE METALS ARE SCARCE/ THEIR EXTRACTION IS DANGEROUS/ AND MANY OF THE BATTERIES END UP IN LANDFILLS"THIS LAST POINT IS SIMPLY UNTRUE. FIRST OF ALL, VERY FEW ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES HAVE EVEN RUN THROUGH THEIR USABLE LIVES. ONCE THEY DO, <a href="https://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/what-happens-to-ev-and-hybrid-batteries.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">COMPANIES ARE ALREADY LINING UP TO START RECYCLING THEM</a>, EITHER FOR <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/08/25/used-electric-car-batteries/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">USE ON THE ELECTRIC GRID</a> OR TO BE <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2015/07/23/electric-vehicle-battery-can-recycled/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">DISASSEMBLED AND THE MATERIALS REUSED</a>."THIS MAKES ELECTRIC CARS TOXIC/ FOR BOTH PEOPLE AND THE PLANET."SOME OF THE COMPONENTS OF ELECTRIC CAR BATTERIES HAVE LOCALIZED HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. BUT COMPARED TO THE ALTERNATIVE—INTERNAL COMBUSTION VEHICLES SPEWING CARBON AND OTHER AIR POLLUTION—ELECTRIC CARS TRULY ARE MUCH CLEANER FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE.</div></div><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/volvo-electric-cars-2453719182.html">HTTPS://WWW.ECOWATCH.COM/VOLVO-ELECTRIC-CARS-2453719182.HTML</a><div class="headline-container" style="margin-top: 10px;"><h1 class="headline h1" style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; line-height: 31px;">VOLVO ANNOUNCES 'HISTORIC END' TO COMBUSTION ENGINE, ALL CARS GOING ELECTRIC</h1></div><div id="utm_campaign" style="margin-top: 10px;"> <div class="article-body body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url selectionShareable" data-url="https://www.ecowatch.com/volvo-electric-cars-2453719182.html" data-headline="Volvo Announces 'Historic End' to Combustion Engine, All Cars Going Electric" data-elid="2453719182" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px;"><div class="article-description body-description" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">VOLVO CARS <a href="https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/210058/volvo-cars-to-go-all-electric" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">ANNOUNCED</a> WEDNESDAY THAT EVERY CAR IT LAUNCHES FROM 2019 WILL HAVE AN <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">ELECTRIC</a> MOTOR, MARKING A "HISTORIC END" TO THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.THIS MAKES VOLVO THE FIRST TRADITIONAL CARMAKER TO FULLY EMBRACE ELECTRIFICATION."THIS IS A CLEAR COMMITMENT TOWARDS REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT AS WELL AS CONTRIBUTING TO BETTER AIR QUALITY IN OUR CITIES," HÅKAN SAMUELSSON, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SAID. HE THEN STATED GOALS OF SELLING 1 MILLION ELECTRIFIED CARS BY 2025.THE COMPANY WILL STILL PRODUCE OLDER VOLVOS WITH PURE COMBUSTION ENGINES AFTER 2019, BUT ITS LATEST MOVE SIGNALS ITS EVENTUAL PHASING OUT CONVENTIONAL GAS GUZZLERS. AS THE <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/05/business/energy-environment/volvo-hybrid-electric-car.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">NEW YORK TIMES</a> NOTED, OTHER MAJOR CAR MANUFACTURERS HAVE INTRODUCED EVS OR HYBRIDS TO THEIR LINE BUT NONE HAVE ENTIRELY DITCHED MAKING NEW CARS POWERED SOLELY BY GASOLINE OR DIESEL FUEL.
 "THIS IS ABOUT THE CUSTOMER," SAMUELSSON ADDED. "PEOPLE INCREASINGLY DEMAND ELECTRIFIED CARS AND WE WANT TO RESPOND TO OUR CUSTOMERS' CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS." 
 THE AUTOMAKER IS BASED IN SWEDEN BUT IS OWNED BY CHINA'S GEELY AUTOMOBILE HOLDINGS, WHICH PRODUCES ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR CHINA, A MAJOR MARKET FOR BATTERY-POWERED CARS.VOLVO SAID IT WILL LAUNCH FIVE FULLY ELECTRIC CARS BETWEEN 2019 AND 2021. THE REST OF ITS FLEET WILL COMPRISE OF PLUG-IN HYBRID CARS AND MILD HYBRID CARS.</div></div>
 <a href="http://www.alternet.org/environment/how-94-year-old-genius-may-save-planet">HTTP://WWW.ALTERNET.ORG/ENVIRONMENT/HOW-94-YEAR-OLD-GENIUS-MAY-SAVE-PLANET</a>...GOODENOUGH ANNOUNCED IN EARLY MARCH THAT HE AND HIS TEAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN HAD INVENTED A GLASS-BASED BATTERY THAT BLOWS AWAY THE PERFORMANCE OF EVERY PREVIOUS KIND OF BATTERY, INCLUDING LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES—WHICH WERE INVENTED IN THE 1980S BY…HIM. SO RIGHT NOW, GOODENOUGH’S TECHNOLOGY IS POWERING YOUR SMARTPHONE, LAPTOP, ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH, TESLA AND ANY OTHER RECHARGEABLE ELECTRONIC THING YOU OWN. LOTS OF INVENTORS CLAIM THEY’RE WORKING ON BREAKTHROUGH TYPES OF BATTERIES. GOODENOUGH IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN ALSO SAY HE’S DONE IT BEFORE.END OF GAS-POWERED CARS?GOODENOUGH’S NEW BATTERY CAN STORE THREE TIMES MORE ENERGY THAN A COMPARABLE LITHIUM-ION BATTERY, <a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/renewables/does-new-glass-battery-accelerate-the-end-of-oil" rel="nofollow" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ACCORDING TO</a> THE VERY SERIOUS INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERS (IEEE). THE NEW BATTERY ALSO SOLVES SOME OTHER LITHIUM-ION TROUBLES. LIKE, IT WON’T CATCH FIRE, SO A HOVERBOARD WON’T SUDDENLY MELT YOUR KID’S VANS AS SHE SCOOTS ACROSS THE PLAYGROUND. THE IEEE ALSO REPORTS THAT GOODENOUGH’S BATTERIES SEEM TO BE ABLE TO SOAK UP IN MINUTES AS MUCH CHARGE AS A LITHIUM-ION BATTERY GETS IN HOURS.=<div><a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-auto-emissions-standards-2303524715.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">HTTP://WWW.ECOWATCH.COM/TRUMP-AUTO-EMISSIONS-STANDARDS-2303524715.HTML</a>
<div>THE OIL INDUSTRY AND ITS "DEEP STATE" ALLIES IN THE <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">TRUMP</a> ADMINISTRATION HAVE LURED U.S. AUTO COMPANIES INTO A POTENTIALLY FATAL POLITICAL TRAP, CHUMMING DETROIT BY TAPPING INTO THE DEEPLY EMBEDDED PENCHANT OF THE BIG THREE FOR CHASING SHORT-TERM MARKET TRENDS AT THE EXPENSE OF LONG TERM VALUE.EXCITED BY THE ARRIVAL OF A <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/big-oil" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">BIG OIL</a> ALLY, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/scott-pruitt" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">SCOTT PRUITT</a>, TO HEAD THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA), THE AUTO INDUSTRY ASKED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/business/energy-environment/automakers-pruitt-mileage-rules.html?action=click&contentCollection=Politics&module&r=1" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">UNDO THE RECENT OBAMA ADMINISTRATION RULE</a> LOCKING LONG TERM, RELIABLE STANDARDS FOR EMISSIONS AND FUEL ECONOMY. THE INDUSTRY ARGUED THAT THE STANDARDS, WHICH IT AGREED TO BACK IN 2009 AS PART OF THE AUTO BAIL-OUT, WERE NOW TOO ONEROUS BECAUSE CONSUMERS WERE SHIFTING TO BUY SUV'S AGAIN WITH LOWER OIL PRICES. THE ARGUMENT IS UTTERLY BOGUS. THE 2009 RULES SET SEPARATE, IF AMBITIOUS, STANDARDS FOR EACH SIZE CLASS OF VEHICLE, SO WHILE MORE SUV SALES DO DRIVE UP AVERAGE EMISSIONS AND OIL CONSUMPTION, THEY DO NOT REQUIRE THE COMPANIES TO MAKE A SINGLE VEHICLE TO A HIGHER STANDARD THAN THEY AGREED TO.
 WHAT'S REALLY AT STAKE HERE IS THE PACE OF VEHICLE ELECTRIFICATION. MEETING THE 2009 STANDARDS FOR EACH VEHICLE CLASS WAS ALWAYS DEPENDENT ON A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THOSE VEHICLES BEING ZERO-EMISSION ELECTRIC DRIVE. THAT'S AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO THE OIL INDUSTRY—AND IN MANY WAYS TO DETROIT'S DEALERS, WHO <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2016/08/16/insiders-tale-auto-dealers-suck-selling-electric-cars/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">MAKE MOST OF THEIR MONEY</a> REPAIRING THE DRIVE TRAINS OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION CARS. <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">ELECTRIC DRIVE VEHICLES</a> (EV) HAVE A FRACTION OF THE MAINTENANCE COSTS OF GAS OR DIESEL.BUT A RAPID DEPLOYMENT OF ELECTRIC DRIVE CARS IS VITAL TO THE LONG TERM GLOBAL VIABILITY OF AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS. WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THE U.S., GLOBAL AUTO MARKETS ARE GOING ELECTRIC AND THE BIG THREE NEED A MAJOR U.S. EV MARKET TO COMPETE IN THE 21ST CENTURY.A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED THAT—SURPRISE, SURPRISE—IT WAS <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/us/politics/trump-vehicle-emissions-regulation.html?r=0" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">GIVING THE AUTO INDUSTRY EVERYTHING IT HAD ASKED FOR AND MORE</a>, NOT ONLY WAIVING THE POST 2022 ECONOMY STANDARDS BUT ALSO SEEKING TO STRIP CALIFORNIA OF ITS HISTORIC RIGHT TO SET ITS OWN VEHICLE EMISSIONS RULES, I ATTENDED A <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/electric-vehicle-sales-to-get-a-boost-amid-pollution-and-energy-security-concerns/articleshow/57469018.cms" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">HIGH LEVEL STRATEGY SESSION</a> IN NEW DELHI DEVOTED TO THE FUTURE OF INDIA'S AUTO FLEET. IF DETROIT HAD BEEN LISTENING IT MIGHT HAVE REALIZED THE FOLLY OF RESUMING ITS SERVILE JUNIOR PARTNER STATUS WITH OIL.
 THE MESSAGE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLEARER. MINISTER AFTER MINISTER—ROADS, INDUSTRY, RAIL, URBAN DEVELOPMENT—PROCLAIMED INDIA'S URGENT NEED FOR "TRANSPORTATION WITHOUT OIL." THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA'S TOP PLANNERS MADE CLEAR THAT THEY WERE UNIFORMLY COMMITTED TO AN <a href="http://www.livemint.com/Industry/7HArPakwJhRpQRLH8QMWrO/Ministers-to-brainstorm-policy-for-an-allelectric-vehicle-f.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">ALL ELECTRIC VEHICLE ECONOMY BY 2030</a>, A STEP WHICH WOULD DRY UP THE OIL INDUSTRY'S BIGGEST REMAINING GROWTH TARGET. IT WOULD ALSO SHUT OFF THE WORLD'S FASTEST GROWING AUTOMOTIVE MARKET TO U.S. MANUFACTURERS IF THEY CONTINUE TO RELY ON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.[PARTNER W/ ELECTRICCAR CO)...</div><div></div></div><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/04/electric-cars-coal-power-plants-climate-change">HTTP://WWW.MOTHERJONES.COM/ENVIRONMENT/2016/04/ELECTRIC-CARS-COAL-POWER-PLANTS-CLIMATE-CHANGE</a>THE UNITED STATES LEADS THE WORLD IN THE NUMBER OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, BUT THE COUNT IS STILL TINY: ABOUT <a href="http://evtc.fsec.ucf.edu/research/project5.html" target="blank">350,000</a>. THAT'S LESS THAN <a href="http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_11.html" target="blank">1 PERCENT</a> OF ALL PASSENGER CARS AND TRUCKS IN THE COUNTRY. RECENT MARKET RESEARCH <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2016/02/electric-vehicles-oil-prices" target="blank">SUGGESTS</a> THAT NUMBER WILL CLIMB STEADILY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DECADES. BUT WILL IT CLIMB FAST ENOUGH? WHEN IT COMES TO FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE, THAT COULD TURN OUT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS OF THE NEXT FEW YEARS.ON APRIL 22, WORLD LEADERS GATHERED IN NEW YORK CITY TO SIGN THE PARIS AGREEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE, IN WHICH THEY VOWED TO KEEP GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RISE TO "WELL BELOW" 2 DEGREES CELSIUS (3.6 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT) ABOVE PRE-INDUSTRIAL LEVELS, A LIMIT THE WORLD IS ALREADY MORE THAN HALFWAY TOWARD EXCEEDING. MEANWHILE, ENERGY EXPERTS HAVE BEGUN TO MAP OUT THE FINE-GRAIN DETAILS OF WHAT MEETING THAT GOAL WOULD ACTUALLY REQUIRE. AND IT'S BECOMING INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT ELECTRIC VEHICLES HAVE A INDISPENSABLE ROLE TO PLAY. IT TURNS OUT THAT ONE OF THE MOST IMMEDIATE SOCIETAL CHANGES FOR AVERAGE AMERICANS IN A CLIMATE-SAVVY FUTURE WOULD LIKELY BE THE ELECTRIFICATION OF JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. IN OTHER WORDS, THE HOPE OF THE PLANET COULD LIE IN A FORCE—ELECTRICITY—WE'VE KNOWN ABOUT FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.<div class="pullquote-right">HOW MUCH DO YOU REALLY KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S UNDER YOUR HOOD? WOULD YOU REALLY NOTICE IF YOUR BASEMENT HELD AN ELECTRIC HEAT PUMP INSTEAD OF A GAS FURNACE?</div>THAT MIGHT SOUND STRANGE, GIVEN THAT ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION IS THE <a href="https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/sources.html" target="blank">NUMBER-ONE SOURCE</a> OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. COAL- AND GAS-BURNING POWER PLANTS ARE STILL OUR MAIN SOURCES OF ELECTRICITY, AND IN SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THE POWER GRID IS SO DIRTY THAT ELECTRIC VEHICLES <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/07/where-electric-vehicles-actually-cause-more-pollution-gas-cars-0" target="blank">MIGHT ACTUALLY CAUSE MORE POLLUTION</a> THAN TRADITIONAL GAS-GUZZLERS.BUT THANKS TO THE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF SOLAR, WIND, AND OTHER RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, ELECTRICITY IS GETTING CLEANER ALL THE TIME. OVER THE LAST DECADE, THE SHARE OF TOTAL US ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION FROM RENEWABLES (INCLUDING HYDROELECTRIC DAMS) ROSE FROM ABOUT 9.5 PERCENT TO MORE THAN 14 PERCENT, WITH YEAR-TO-YEAR GROWTH GETTING FASTER ALL THE TIME. SO THERE'S A GOOD CASE TO BE MADE FOR PHASING OUT THE OTHER TYPES OF FOSSIL FUEL USE IN OUR DAILY LIVES—PARTICULARLY GASOLINE FOR CARS AND OIL AND GAS FOR HEATING BUILDINGS. WE SHOULD BE USING ELECTRICITY INSTEAD—EVEN IF THAT MEANS USING MORE ELECTRICITY OVERALL.THAT'S A KEY FINDING OF THE DEEP DECARBONIZATION PATHWAYS PROJECT, AN INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM OF ENERGY RESEARCHERS THAT PRODUCED <a href="http://deepdecarbonization.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/US_Deep_Decarbonization_Technical_Report.pdf" target="blank">A DETAILED TECHNICAL STUDY</a> OF HOW TO CUT US GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 80 PERCENT COMPARED TO 1990 LEVELS BY 2050—THE CHANGE NECESSARY IF AMERICANS HOPE TO DO THEIR PART TO STAY WITHIN THE TWO-DEGREE LIMIT. THE REPORT FOUND THAT IT'S TECHNICALLY POSSIBLE FOR THE US TO MEET THAT TARGET, AT AN ANNUAL COST OF ABOUT 1 PERCENT OF GDP, WITHOUT SACRIFICING ANY "ENERGY SERVICES." THAT IS, THE REPORT ASSUMES WE'LL STILL DRIVE AND HAVE HOUSES AND OPERATE FACTORIES THE SAME AS WE DO TODAY. BUT TO DO SO WILL REQUIRE A MAJOR BOOST IN ELECTRIFICATION—WHICH WILL IN TURN REQUIRE THAT THE US PRODUCE ABOUT TWICE AS MUCH ELECTRICITY AS IT CURRENTLY DOES—WHILE REDUCING THE CARBON EMISSIONS PER UNIT OF ENERGY DOWN TO JUST 3 TO 10 PERCENT OF THEIR CURRENT LEVELS. IN OTHER WORDS, AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE ELECTRIFYING EVERYTHING, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO CLEAN UP THE ELECTRIC GRID AND DOUBLE DOWN ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY, ESPECIALLY IN BUILDINGS."YOU CAN'T GET TO A LEVEL OF EMISSIONS THAT'S COMPATIBLE WITH 2C OR LESS UNLESS YOU DO ALL THREE OF THOSE THINGS," SAID JIM WILLIAMS, ONE OF THE REPORT'S LEAD AUTHORS AND CHIEF SCIENTIST AT THE PRIVATE RESEARCH FIRM ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS.WE GET ENERGY FROM FOSSIL FUELS IN TWO BASIC WAYS: EITHER BURNING IT IN A POWER PLANT TO CREATE ELECTRICITY THAT GETS USED ELSEWHERE, OR BY BURNING IT DIRECTLY WHERE IT'S NEEDED—I.E., YOUR CAR'S INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OR A GAS-FUELED STOVE. WILLIAMS' BASIC IDEA—WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN ADVANCED BY OTHER LEADING ENERGY ECONOMISTS, PARTICULARLY <a href="http://thesolutionsproject.org/vox-heres-what-it-would-take-for-the-us-to-run-on-100-renewable-energy/" target="blank">STANFORD'S MARK JACOBSON</a>—IS TO AXE THAT SECOND CATEGORY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY "DECARBONIZING" THE ELECTRIC GRID BY REPLACING FOSSIL FUELS WITH WIND, SOLAR, AND OTHER RENEWABLES....
 
 <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13048/kochs-go-after-electric-car-subsidies">HTTP://WWW.PRWATCH.ORG/NEWS/2016/02/13048/KOCHS-GO-AFTER-ELECTRIC-CAR-SUBSIDIES</a>
 
 <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2016/02/19/koch-brothers-war-on-evs/">HTTP://ECOWATCH.COM/2016/02/19/KOCH-BROTHERS-WAR-ON-EVS/</a>...<a href="http://ecowatch.com/2016/02/19/koch-brothers-war-on-evs/">AN EFFORT TO STRIKE BACK AT </a><a href="https://ecowatch.com/2016/02/11/power-your-car-with-sun/">RECORD-BREAKING</a> EV SALES, THE <a href="http://ecowatch.com/news/energy-news/">FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY</a> IS ALLEGEDLY FUNDING A NEW ORGANIZATION THAT WILL SPEND $10 MILLION A YEAR TO PUSH PETROLEUM-BASED TRANSPORTATION FUELS AND ATTACK GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES ON EVS, REFINING INDUSTRY SOURCES TOLD THE <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/koch-electric-vehicles_us_56c4d63ce4b0b40245c8cbf6?ir=Green&section=us_green&utm_hp_ref=green" target="blank">HUFFINGTON POST</a>.ACCORDING TO HUFFPO, A KOCH INDUSTRIES BOARD MEMBER AND A VETERAN WASHINGTON ENERGY LOBBYIST WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE PURPORTED EV-SQUASHING INITIATIVE.“I THINK THEY (ARE) APPROACHING ALL THE MAJOR INDEPENDENT REFINERS,” ONE INDUSTRY SOURCE EXPLAINED TO HUFFPO.THE MISSION OF THE STILL-UNNAMED GROUP WILL BE TO “MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE OF ALL THE BENEFITS OF PETROLEUM-BASED TRANSPORTATION FUELS,” THE SOURCE SAID, ADDING THAT “THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION HAS A BIAS TOWARD PHASING OUT” THESE FUELS.“(THE KOCHS ARE) WORRIED ABOUT STATE AND COMMUNITY SUBSIDIES,” THE SOURCE SAID. “IN 20 YEARS, ELECTRIC VEHICLES COULD HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL FOOTHOLD IN THE U.S. MARKET.”OIL BARON BROTHERS <a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/charles-koch/" target="blank">CHARLES</a> AND <a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/david-koch/" target="blank">DAVID</a> KOCH OF ARE TWO OF THE FOUR RICHEST AMERICANS ACCORDING TO FORBES, HOLDING MORE THAN $80 BILLION COMBINED IN NET WORTH. IT’S AN OPEN SECRET THAT THE CONSERVATIVE OIL BARONS HAVE FUNNELED EYE-POPPING SUMS OF MONEY TO CURRY INFLUENCE IN THEIR FAVOR, INCLUDING NEARLY <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/11/03/koch-brothers-morning-joe/">$1 BILLION</a> TO GOP CANDIDATES FOR THE <a href="http://ecowatch.com/politics/">2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION</a> AS WELL AS VICIOUS CAMPAIGNS AGAINST <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/07/13/chris-christie-climate-change/">CLIMATE CHANGE</a> AND <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/10/27/koch-brothers-solar-florida/">RENEWABLE ENERGY</a>.“THE KOCHS HAVE INVESTED HEAVILY IN A PUGNACIOUS DEFENSE OF FOSSIL FUEL CONSUMPTION,” A CONSERVATIVE ENERGY ANALYST TOLD HUFFPO. “THEY’VE DONE THIS IN THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR, AND AS THE DEBATE SHIFTS TO TRANSPORTATION THEY’RE BEHAVING TRUE TO FORM.”ONE SOURCE CLAIMED THAT THE NEW KOCH-BACKED ORGANIZATION “MAY BE DOING WORK THAT’S NOW BEING DONE BY THE INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY RESEARCH.” THE INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY RESEARCH (IER), REGISTERED BY CHARLES KOCH AND ENERGY EXPERT ROBERT L. BRADLEY JR., PUSHES FOR DEREGULATION OF UTILITIES, CLIMATE CHANGE DENIAL AND CLAIMS THAT CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES ARE VIRTUALLY LIMITLESS, ACCORDING TO <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Institute_for_Energy_Research" target="blank">SOURCEWATCH</a>.INCIDENTALLY, THE IER IS BEHIND AN ATTACK ON TESLA’S <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/06/12/tesla-power-capacity-powerwall/">POWERWALL</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2016/01/18/tesla-powerwalls-payback-period-likely-longer-than-its-life/" target="blank">AUTOBLOG</a> REPORTED. THE IER <a href="http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/analysis/payback-on-teslas-powerwall-battery/" target="blank">CLAIMS</a> THAT IT WILL TAKE NEARLY 40 YEARS TO PAY OFF. TESLA <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/07/study-a-tesla-powerwall-pays-for-itself-after-nearly-40-years/" target="blank">RESPONDED</a>, CALLING THE REPORT “ELEMENTARY, AT BEST, AND COMPLETELY MISSES THE VALUE OF THE POWERWALL.” THE IER <a href="http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/analysis/tesla-fails-to-refute-iers-powerwall-article" target="blank">ALSO RESPONDED</a> TO TESLA.TESLA CEO ELON MUSK—WHO BELIEVES ELECTRIC CARS “<a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/16/electric-cars-international-auto-show/">ARE THE FUTURE</a>”—BREATHED DIGITAL DISMAY OVER NEWS OF THE KOCH’S LATEST ASSAULT, TWEETING “SIGH … ” AND LINKING THE HUFFPO REPORT.<div class="rve" data-content-width=""><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500">SIGH …<a href="https://t.co/VelOzAKIW6">HTTPS://T.CO/VELOZAKIW6</a>— ELON MUSK (@ELONMUSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/700583378328784896">FEBRUARY 19, 2016</a></blockquote></div>MUSK FOLLOWED WITH ANOTHER TWEET OF A UK GUARD URL REPORT THAT SHOCKINGLY REVEALED $10 MILLION A MINUTE FROM GLOBAL SUBSIDIES GOES TO FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES, ACCORDING INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) ESTIMATES.“WORTH NOTING THAT ALL GASOLINE CARS ARE HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED VIA OIL COMPANY TAX CREDITS & UNPAID PUBLIC HEALTH COSTS,” MUSK WROTE.<div class="rve" data-content-width=""><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500">WORTH NOTING THAT ALL GASOLINE CARS ARE HEAVILY SUBSIDIZED VIA OIL COMPANY TAX CREDITS & UNPAID PUBLIC HEALTH COSTS <a href="https://t.co/4li5E013Dj">HTTPS://T.CO/4LI5E013DJ</a>— ELON MUSK (@ELONMUSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/700600176713404416">FEBRUARY 19, 2016</a></blockquote></div>YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE<a class="black-to-green" href="http://ecowatch.com/2016/02/19/elon-musk-loves-tesla-video/">ELON MUSK SHOWS HIS LOVE FOR DRAMATIC TESLA VIDEO WITH POWERFUL MESSAGE</a><a class="black-to-green" href="http://ecowatch.com/2016/02/18/hillary-clinton-fossil-fuel-money/">GREENPEACE ASKS HILLARY CLINTON TO SAY NO TO FOSSIL FUEL MONEY</a><a class="black-to-green" href="http://ecowatch.com/2016/02/18/us-linked-to-methane-emissions/">HARVARD STUDY: U.S. ‘LIKELY CULPRIT’ OF GLOBAL SPIKE IN METHANE EMISSIONS</a><a class="black-to-green" href="http://ecowatch.com/2016/02/15/warning-fossil-fuel-investors/">WARNING TO FOSSIL FUEL INVESTORS: COAL AND LNG MARKETS SHRINKING DUE TO COMPETITION FROM RENEWABLES</a>
 
 But the auto dealers — knowing their business model is flawed, antiquated and imperiled — are not going down without a fight. Dealer associations are aggressively protecting their turf using their powerful state lobbies to pump legislators and governors either to shut Tesla down or hobble it so it can't become a threat. Many states already have laws stating that automakers can’t sell cars directly to the public and compete with the independent dealerships that sell their brands. But now, dealers want statehouses to rewrite those laws to apply to automakers that don’t have dealers, like Tesla.Last month, Iowa became the latest state to challenge Tesla Motors’ right to sell its cars directly to consumers. The state’s Department of Transportation told the electric-car manufacturer that it must stop offering test drives in the state, because it <a href="http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/companies/2014/09/25/tesla-test-drives-iowa-dot-west-des-moines-laws-illegal/16192477/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">isn’t registered as an auto dealer there</a>. The state's DOT ordered Tesla to halt its test drives only after it was tipped off by the state’s Automobile Dealers Association, according to the Des Moines Register.Iowa joins Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas in restricting the direct sales of Teslas. The only states to formally approve of Tesla's direct-sales model are California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Virginia.Tesla’s ability to sell cars directly is being vigorously challenged across the country. According to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group representing the 12 largest automakers,<a href="http://www.autonews.com/article/20140616/RETAIL07/306169943/state-franchise-laws-sparked-by-tesla-go-too-far-other-automakers" style="text-decoration-line: none;">dealers have pushed 33 bills in 26 states so far</a> this year. Auto dealers have also tried to challenge Massachusetts laws allowing Tesla sales operations there, taking their case to the state's courts; however, the state’s Supreme Judicial Court recently <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2014/09/19/tesla-wins-in-massachusetts-tries-for-more-in-new-jersey/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ruled in the car maker’s favor</a>.Why Are Dealers Afraid of Tesla?
 =SEE TESLA  HTTP://WWW.ALTERNET.ORG/ENVIRONMENT/CHRIS-CHRISTIES-TESLA-BAN-CHALLENGED-NJ-LEGISLATORS=<h1 class="title" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; letter-spacing: -1px;">CALIFORNIA JOINS 7 OTHER STATES TO PUT 3.3M ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES ON ROAD</h1><div id="node-32343" class="node node-type-breaking_news clear-block" style="padding-bottom: 1em;"><div class="meta" style="padding-bottom: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; background-image: url("http://insideclimatenews.org/sites/all/themes/solve/images/dot-bottom.png"); background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x;"><div id="authoredBy" style="float: left; width: 929px;"><div style="width: 185.203px; float: right;">MAY 29, 2014</div><div style="clear: both;"><div class="pagecount"><div class="content"><div class="field field-type-text field-field-news-source"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item odd">(MERCURY NEWS)</div></div></div><div class="field field-type-text field-field-news-body"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item odd">CALIFORNIA LEADS THE NATION IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES, AND NOW IS JOINING FORCES WITH OREGON AND SEVERAL NORTHEASTERN STATES TO PUT 3.3 MILLION ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES ON THE ROAD BY 2025.GOV. JERRY BROWN AND HIS COUNTERPARTS IN CONNECTICUT, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, NEW YORK, OREGON, RHODE ISLAND AND VERMONT SIGNED A SET OF AGREEMENTS THURSDAY THAT INCLUDES ADDING ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES TO PUBLIC FLEETS AND HARMONIZING BUILDING CODES TO MAKE IT EASIER TO INSTALL ELECTRIC-VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS."THIS IS NOT JUST AN AGREEMENT BUT A SERIOUS AND PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT COMMITMENT," BROWN, LONG A CHAMPION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES, SAID IN A STATEMENT. "FROM COAST TO COAST, WE'RE CHARGING AHEAD TO GET MILLIONS OF THE WORLD'S CLEANEST VEHICLES ON OUR ROADS."</div></div></div></div></div>...Lawmakers in Virginia touched a nerve last year with a new $64 annual tax on the state’s 91,000 hybrid owners, 90 percent of them from the northern part of the state near Washington, D.C. Objections, immediate and loud, spurred a petition that garnered more than 7,700 signatures.Hybrid owners felt singled out for a double whammy, because hybrids using both gas and electric power are still subject to gas taxes when they fill up. Additionally, some bigger hybrids use more gas — paying more fuel tax — than new, highly efficient gas-powered cars that were not covered by the new fee, said Democratic state Del. Scott Surovell, who spearheaded the repeal petition. It was akin to charging non-smokers for not paying their fair share of tobacco taxes—“taxing people for doing the right thing,” he said. The legislature repealed the tax this year.“The takeaway is, don’t start taxing energy efficient behavior that you are trying to encourage,” said Surovell. He said governments instead should figure out how to subsidize clean vehicles until they are widely affordable.Virginia, however, did retain its annual tax on vehicles using solely electric power, raising the previous $50 fee to $64.  The notion of a fair-share tax resonates with many people for electric-power cars. North Carolina and  <a href="http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Revenue-MV/RMV/1251647434805" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Colorado</a> this year joined Washington and  <a href="http://www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/law/NE/9455" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Nebraska</a> in charging electric vehicle owners annual fees -- $50 in Colorado, $75 in Nebraska and $100 in North Carolina and Washington. Drivers of hybrids so far have been spared in those states....alternetALTERNET: 2. AFTER ELECTRIC AUTOMAKER TESLA BECOMES A SUCCESS, FOX FORGETS ITS FEDERAL LOAN. [6]3. BILL O'REILLY SMEARS TESLA, FALSELY CLAIMS IT HAD NET LOSSES. FOX NEWS AIRED MIXED MESSAGES ABOUT TESLA, OFFERING THE COMPANY PRAISE AND THEN DISPARAGING IT, ALL WITHIN THE SAME WEEK. HOST BILL O'REILLY CALLED THE COMPANY A FAILURE AND CLAIMED THAT IT POSTED NET LOSSES. O'REILLY'S STATEMENT, HOWEVER, WAS <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/04/10/oreilly-smears-fox-news-electric-car-success-st/193555">UNTRUE</a> [7]. IN FACT, JUST DAYS EARLIER, FOX NEWS HAD HERALDED TESLA AS A "<a href="http://mediamatters.org/print/blog/2013/04/08/fox-forgets-its-electric-car-success-story/193529">SUCCESS STORY</a> [8]" AFTER THE COMPANY TURNED A <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/291133-obama-backed-automaker-tesla-motors-turns-a-profit">PROFIT</a> [9].4. WSJ EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER: NEW YORK CITY'S BIKE SHARE PROGRAM PART OF "TOTALITARIAN" PLOT. WITH A STRAIGHT FACE, WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER DOROTHY RABINOWITZ <a href="http://live.wsj.com/video/opinion-death-by-bicycle/C6D8BBCE-B405-4D3C-A381-4CA50BDD8D4D.html#!C6D8BBCE-B405-4D3C-A381-4CA50BDD8D4D">SAID</a> [10] THAT BICYCLISTS WERE THE "MOST IMPORTANT DANGER" FACING NEW YORK CITY, AND RAGED AGAINST BIKE SHARE PROGRAMS THAT ARE PURSUED BY THE "ALL POWERFUL" "BIKE LOBBY" EMBOLDENED BY "TOTALITARIANS." SHE EMPHASIZES THAT "THE CITY IS HELPLESS" BEFORE THE DRIVEN AMBITIONS OF ITS "AUTOCRATIC" MAYOR. RABINOWITZ'S OVERLY HYPED ATTACK OF A BIKE-SHARE PROGRAM ATTRACTED<a href="http://www.policymic.com/articles/44495/citi-bike-share-program-nyc-program-called-dreadful-by-wsj">CRITICISM</a> [11], NOTABLY FROM COMEDY CENTRAL'S <a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-june-6-2013/full-pedal-racket%3Chr%20/%3Eciti-bike">THE DAILY SHOW</a> [12]. HOWEVER, RABINOWITZ STUCK BY HER ATTACK, SAYING THE BIKE RACKS ARE "<a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/06/dorothy-rabinowitz-lets-loose.html">INSTRUMENTS OF AESTHETIC TORTURE</a> [13]" AND TOLD A BICYCLIST WHO ASKED HER A QUESTION TO INSTEAD ASK "<a href="http://live.wsj.com/video/opinionrabinowitz-responds-to-the-bike-lobby/5FBFA551-0192-4FDB-B209-248E733E0083.html#!5FBFA551-0192-4FDB-B209-248E733E0083">THE THERAPIST WE HOPE THIS BIKER IS CONSULTING</a> [14]."5. FOX NEWS: WIND TURBINES MAY CAUSE "DEVASTATING" HEALTH EFFECTS. FOX NEWS DID NOT SHY AWAY FROM REPORTING ON EASILY DEBUNKED ALLEGATIONS AS IF THEY WERE TRUE, NAMELY THAT CLEAN ENERGY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR CAUSING THE DUBIOUSLY NAMED <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/05/25/myths-amp-facts-about-wind-power/183968#healthrisk">WIND TURBINE SYNDROME</a> [15] AMONG A HANDFUL OF RESIDENTS IN A SMALL MASSACHUSETTS TOWN. IN FEBRUARY, FOX NEWS <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/02/26/fox-news-wind-power-hypochondria/192808">HYPED</a> [16] THE "DEVASTATING" EFFECTS OF WIND TURBINES ON A FEW RESIDENTS IN FALMOUTH, MASS. FOR ALL OF FOX'S REPORTING ON THE HORRORS OF WIND TURBINE SYNDROME, THE OUTLET FAILED TO NOTE THAT NO EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THAT THIS CONDITION EVEN EXISTS, AND <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3179699/">MULTIPLE STUDIES</a> [17] HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE ARRAY OF HEALTH EFFECTS MAY SIMPLY BE AN EFFECT OF HYPOCHONDRIA. THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION EVEN <a href="http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/massdep/service/massdep-site-help.html">CONCLUDED</a>[18] IN 2012 THAT "THERE IS NO EVIDENCE FOR A SET OF HEALTH EFFECTS FROM EXPOSURE TO WIND TURBINES."6. RIGHT-WING MEDIA FALSELY CLAIM ENERGY EFFICIENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPER BOWL BLACKOUT.WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT INSIDE THE SUPER BOWL, FANS AND TELEVISION PERSONALITIES ALIKE WERE INITIALLY BAFFLED. THE DRUDGE REPORT AND CONSERVATIVE MEDIA FIGURES ON FOX NEWS WERE QUICK TO <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/02/04/conservatives-wrongly-blame-super-bowl-blackout/192510">SPIN</a> [19] THEIR OWN NARRATIVE ABOUT WHY THE BLACKOUT OCCURRED, BLAMING THE <a href="http://energy.gov/articles/super-bowl-city-leads-energy-efficient-forefront">ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING</a> [20] OUTSIDE OF THE STADIUM, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE LED LIGHTS OUTSIDE THE STADIUM <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/super-bowl-who-turned-out-the-lights-87128.html?hp=r5">NEVER</a> [21] WENT OUT. 7. FOX NEWS: SOLAR POWER "MIGHT BE TANKING OUR ECONOMY." IN FEBRUARY FOX NEWS HOSTS USED THE MISFORTUNE OF ONE SOLAR COMPANY TO ADMONISH THE ENTIRE SOLAR INDUSTRY, GOING SO FAR AS TO <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/03/21/fox-news-solar-power-might-be-tanking-our-econo/193172">SAY</a> [22] THAT THIS SECTOR IS "TANKING OUR ECONOMY," DESPITE THE FACT THAT SOLAR ACTUALLY HAS HELPED TO GROW THE U.S. ECONOMY. AFTER CALIFORNIA-BASED SOLAR PANEL COMPANY, SOLOPOWER, LAID OFF EMPLOYEES AND HAD TROUBLE MEETINGS REQUIREMENTS FOR ITS FEDERAL LOAN GUARANTEE, FOX NEWS HOSTS SURMISED THAT THE SOLAR INDUSTRY AND THE NATION'S ENTIRE ECONOMY WAS IN PERIL AS A RESULT. HOWEVER, SOLAR INDUSTRY JOBS HAVE <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/03/21/fox-news-solar-power-might-be-tanking-our-econo/193172">GROWN</a> [22] IN RECENT YEARS, AND DROPPING PRICES ARE DRIVING <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2013/01/24/myths-and-facts-about-solar-energy/192364#business">RECORD</a> [23] INSTALLATIONS.8. WHEN FOX COULDN'T POINT TO ACTUAL FACTS TO SMEAR TESLA, THEY MADE SOME UP. IN MAY, FOX BUSINESS REPORTER ELIZABETH MACDONALD WAS THINKING ON HER FEET WHEN MAKING DISPARAGING COMMENTS ABOUT TESLA MOTORS. SHE CLAIMED THAT THE TESLA MODEL S "CONKS OUT AFTER ABOUT 16 MILES," WHEN <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/05/30/fox-reporter-conjures-mystery-numbers-for-new-t/194273">IN FACT</a> [24] THE CAR'S BATTERY BOASTS A BATTERY RANGE OF 265 MILES, MAKING IT THE <a href="http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/06/22/tesla-model-s-verified-as-longest-range-electric-vehicle-at-265-miles/">LONGEST-RANGE</a> [25] ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILE BATTERY ON THE MARKET AT THE TIME. THE NEXT DAY SHE <a href="http://mediamatters.org/embed/clips/2013/05/31/30420/fbn-varney-20130531-tesla">SAID</a> [26] THAT SHE "GAVE INCOMPLETE INFORMATION," SUGGESTING SHE WAS REFERRING TO THE RANGE IF YOU CHARGED THE CAR FOR ONLY HALF AN HOUR USING A MOBILE CONNECTOR.=HTTP://FREEBEACON.COM/GREENTECH-NOT-JOLTING-MCAULIFFES-CAMPAIGN/ HIT JOB
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EV 100K US

JUST RECENTLY IN MY HOME STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, A LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE STATE SENATE'S COMMERCE COMMITTEE THAT COULD MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR TESLA TO SELL TO NC STATE RESIDENTS, OR AT THE VERY LEAST SELL IN ANY WAY OTHER THAN VIA THE ESTABLISHED DEALER NETWORK. THE IRONY OF LAWMAKERS TRYING TO BAN THE SALE OF AN AMERICAN-BUILT, MOTOR TREND CAR OF THE YEAR THAT SOURCES FROM OVER 30 MANUFACTURERS IN NC MAKES ME SHAKE MY HEAD AND WONDER. --- <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/05/13/north_carolina_tesla_ban_bill_would_prevent_unfair_competition_with_car.html">HTTP://WWW.SLATE.COM/BLOGS/FUTURE_TENSE/2013/05/13/NORTH_CAROLINA_TESLA_BAN_BILL_WOULD_PREVENT_UNFAIR_COMPETITION_WITH_CAR.HTML</a> <div class="text parbase section">FROM THE STATE THAT BROUGHT YOU <a target="blank" href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/north-carolina-bans-latest-science-rising-sea-level/story?id=16913782">THE NATION’S FIRST BAN ON CLIMATE SCIENCE</a> COMES ANOTHER LEGISLATIVE GEM: A BILL THAT WOULD PROHIBIT AUTOMAKERS FROM SELLING THEIR CARS IN THE STATE.</div><div class="text parbase section">THE PROPOSAL, WHICH THE RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER REPORTS WAS <a target="blank" href="http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/05/09/2883125/law-would-stop-tesla-electric.html">UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE STATE’S SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE</a> ON THURSDAY, WOULD APPLY TO ALL CAR MANUFACTURERS, BUT THE INTENDED TARGET IS CLEAR. IT’S AIMED AT TESLA, THE ONLY U.S. AUTOMAKER WHOSE BUSINESS MODEL RELIES ON SELLING CARS DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS, RATHER THAN THROUGH A NETWORK OF THIRD-PARTY DEALERSHIPS.</div><div class="text parbase section">THE BILL IS BEING PUSHED BY THE <a target="blank" href="http://www.ncada.com/">NORTH CAROLINA AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION</a>, A TRADE GROUP REPRESENTING THE STATE’S FRANCHISED DEALERSHIPS. ITS SPONSOR IS STATE SEN. TOM APODACA, A REPUBLICAN FROM HENDERSON, WHO HAS SAID THE GOAL IS TO PREVENT UNFAIR COMPETITION BETWEEN MANUFACTURERS AND DEALERS. WHAT MAKES IT “UNFAIR COMPETITION” AS OPPOSED TO PLAIN-OLD “COMPETITION”—SOMETHING REPUBLICANS ARE TYPICALLY INCLINED TO FAVOR—IS NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR. AFTER ALL, NORTH CAROLINA DOESN’T SEEM TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH APPLE SELLING ITS COMPUTERS ONLINE OR VIA ITS OWN APPLE STORES.</div><div class="text parbase section">STILL, IT’S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY SOME CAR DEALERS MIGHT FEEL A LITTLE THREATENED: <a target="blank" href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/13/autos/tesla-sales-bmw-mercedes-audi/index.html">TESLA’S MODEL S OUTSOLD THE MERCEDES S-CLASS, BMW 7 SERIES, AND AUDI A8 LAST QUARTER</a> WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM THEM. IF ITS BUSINESS MODEL WERE TO CATCH ON, CONSUMERS MIGHT FIND THAT THEY DON’T NEED THE MIDDLE-MEN AS MUCH AS THEY THOUGHT.</div><div class="text parbase section">INCIDENTALLY—NOT THAT HE WOULD BE IN ANY WAY SWAYED BY THIS—I COULDN’T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT <a target="blank" href="http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/contributor_details.phtml?c=141428&d=1539504216">APODACA RECEIVED $8,000 IN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION LAST YEAR</a>, THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ALLOWED BY STATE LAW. I’VE REACHED OUT TO THE SENATOR FOR FURTHER COMMENT AND WILL UPDATE THIS POST IF HE REPLIES.</div><div class="text parbase section">TESLA’S VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, DIARMUID O'CONNELL, TOLD ME HE’S HOPEFUL THAT THE STATE LEGISLATURE WILL AMEND THE BILL SO THAT IT DOESN’T PROHIBIT TESLA FROM DOING BUSINESS THERE. HE SAID THE COMPANY HAS ALREADY SOLD 80 CARS IN NORTH CAROLINA, MOSTLY THROUGH THE WEB, AND HAS ABOUT 60 MORE ORDERS IN THE WORKS. IT ALSO HAS PLANS TO BUILD ITS FIRST SHOWROOM IN THE STATE NEXT YEAR. THE RALEIGH-DURHAM RESEARCH TRIANGLE IN PARTICULAR APPEARS TO BE A HOTBED OF TESLA INTEREST, O'CONNELL SAID, WHICH MAKES SENSE GIVEN ITS SIMILARITIES TO SILICON VALLEY.</div><div class="text parbase section">IN ITS CURRENT FORM, NORTH CAROLINA’S BILL WOULD BE THE HARSHEST OF A HANDFUL OF ANTI-TESLA REGULATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY. IN TEXAS, THE COMPANY IS FIGHTING A LAW UNDER WHICH THE EMPLOYEES OF ITS “SHOWROOM” IN AUSTIN ARE <a target="blank" href="http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2013/04/24/tesla-has-eyes-for-texas-but-will-the-state-make-oblige/">NOT ALLOWED TO SELL ANY VEHICLES, OFFER TEST DRIVES, OR EVEN TELL CUSTOMERS HOW MUCH THE CAR COSTS</a>. BUT AT LEAST TEXAS STILL LETS PEOPLE BUY THE CAR ONLINE, WHICH NORTH CAROLINA’S LAW WOULD PROHIBIT.</div><div class="text parbase section">TESLA’S O’CONNELL REJECTS THE IDEA THAT LAWS PROHIBITING AUTOMAKERS FROM SELLING THEIR CARS ARE DESIGNED TO PROTECT CONSUMERS, AS TRADE GROUPS LIKE THE NORTH CAROLINA DEALERS’ ASSOCIATION CLAIM. HE SAYS THE FRANCHISE-DEALER MODEL MIGHT WORK FINE FOR GIANT AUTOMAKERS, BUT NOT FOR A STARTUP LIKE TESLA—ESPECIALLY SINCE TESLA’S PRODUCTS REPRESENT A CHALLENGE TO THE TRADITIONAL AUTO INDUSTRY ON WHICH DEALERSHIPS RELY. “HOW DO YOU SELL THE FUTURE IF YOUR BUSINESS DEPENDS ON THE PRESENT?” HE ASKED.</div>
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