Walz Wants Electric Vehicles to Be 20 Percent of All Vehicles on the Road By 2030

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) has recently released its 2019 Sustainability Report, which sheds light on the Walz Administration’s desire to radically change the way Minnesotans drive. According to the report, the Walz administration wants 20 percent of the vehicles registered in Minnesota to be electric vehicles (EVs) even though these vehicles are more expensive and less useful than traditional cars, especially during cold Minnesota winters.

The Walz Administration’s EV goals are laughably unrealistic. EVs currently constitute 0.25 percent of the registered vehicles in Minnesota, which amounts to 12,750 out of the more than 5.1 million cars registered in the state. To meet the Governor’s goal, there would need to be one million EVs on the road by 2030. That is a tall order based on the history of EV adoption in Minnesota to date.

Between 2014 and 2019, the number of electric vehicle registrations increased from five EVs to 12,750 EVs. To reach the Governor’s target, Minnesotans would need to buy *only* 98,750 EVs every year from now until 2030.

The Walz Administration appears to understand that his targets will go unmet if Minnesotans are free to choose their own vehicles, which is why the Sustainability Report suggests the government enact California car regulations forcing auto dealers to stock electric cars, using your money to fund charging stations for EVs, and giving special privileges to those who purchase EVs.

California Car Mandates

Center of the American Experiment has been the leader in opposing the Walz Administration’s attempt to let unelected bureaucrats in California tell Minnesotans what kind of cars they can drive. Our Thinking Minnesota poll found these regulations are deeply unpopular because people are unwilling to pay more for their vehicle to help automakers recoup losses from being forced to sell unprofitable EVs.

The Walz administration appears eager to continue to unilaterally impose these one-size-fits-all regulations on Minnesotans, despite opposition from the public and conservative lawmakers. Where have we heard that before?

Funding Charging Stations Using Your Money

The report states that MNDOT wants to create a pilot program to support charging stations for electric vehicles throughout the state. The government has already spent a significant sum of money from the Volkswagen on 47 electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state, but the larger issue here is the potential for government-approved monopoly utilities like Xcel Energy to spend millions of dollars on charging stations and make a guaranteed profit from building them.

Remember, Xcel Energy is not really a private company. It is a business that exists because the government has prevented any competition in their service territory. As an Xcel customer, you are forced to buy your electricity from the company at whatever price they charge, and you have no option for shopping around for a better provider.

This is what makes pilot programs for EV charging infrastructure a very bad precedent to set. Fast charging EV charging stations routinely cost more than $50,000 after parts and labor. It is unclear if this buys more than one charging port (similar to how gas pumps have hoses on both sides) or if this purchases only one charging hookup. Either way, this will add up quickly if Xcel is allowed to make a guaranteed 7.5 percent profit every time they install a charging station.

Special Privileges For EV Drivers

The administration has already enacted a program allowing for special treatment of EV drivers on Minnesota roads. According to the report:

“Starting November 1, 2019, residents who purchase or lease a new or used EV will receive a one-time credit of up to $250 for MnPASS,
allowing them to drive in the express lane when traffic is heavy. The three-year pilot program is aimed at people who may be on the fence
about choosing an EV or a plug-in hybrid as their next car and gives them yet another reason to make the switch to cleaner transportation.”

Traffic congestion in the Twin Cities was worse than ever before in 2019, and while everyone else is stuck in traffic because MNDOT has decided to prioritize public transit and has actively tried to make congestion worse, EV buyers are allowed to skip the line and use the fast lane to get to wherever they are going. Research from Morgan State University has determined that EV buyers are predominately white, wealthy liberals.

According to AtlastEVHub, 86 percent of battery EVs are registered in the seven-county metro region, meaning the spoils of this government program will be allocated to the Walz administration’s philosophical allies at the expense of everyone who doesn’t want an electric vehicle.

Conclusion

Governor Walz ran for office using a “One Minnesota” slogan, but the policies he has sought to enact harm those living in Greater Minnesota by limiting economic opportunities and increased the cost of living.

American Experiment is standing up for all Minnesotans by opposing the Governor’s attempt to impose California car mandates on our state, and we are taking our show on the road. Please visit https://www.nocacars.com/ to learn how you can attend a presentation in your area and sign the petition telling the Governor that you oppose his efforts to decide what we drive.