Repealing Oregon’s EV Mandate Should Be Next on Gov. Kotek’s List

By John A. Charles, Jr.

Recently Gov. Tina Kotek decided to pull the plug on ODOT’s highway tolling scheme. She correctly understood that the ODOT plan was going to be all pain with no gain for voters.

The Governor should now turn her attention to DEQ’s auto emissions standards, which require 35% of all new cars and light trucks sold in Oregon to be either battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by 2026.

At the time the regulation was adopted two years ago, electric vehicle sales were rising and many traditional auto manufacturers were spending billions to bring out new models. That bubble has now burst.

Several EV manufacturers have entered bankruptcy, and the Wall Street Journal reports that EVs are sitting on dealer lots for an average of 67 days, compared with 25 days for gasoline-electric hybrids.

Traditional hybrids such as the Toyota Prius are attractive because they have the benefits of low emissions without the charging hassles of battery electric vehicles. But under Oregon’s regulatory program, the Prius will be banned by 2035, along with all other gasoline powered vehicles.

The EV mandate will fail for the same reason tolling failed. The Governor would be wise to repeal this regulation before the 2026 compliance deadline arrives.

John A. Charles, Jr. is President and CEO of Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free market public policy research organization.

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