Biden Poses In Electric Car That Has A Higher Carbon Footprint Than A Gas-Powered SUV
John Hugh DeMastri on January 31, 2023
President Joe Biden took to Twitter Monday to promote his administration’s new electric vehicle tax credits, posing in a car which is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions on average than smaller gas-powered cars.
Roughly 60% of power generated in the U.S. is generated by burning fossil fuels, the Hummer EV Pickup that Biden was photographed in is responsible for, on average, 341 grams of carbon dioxide per mile, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). However, the Hummer EV Pickup is responsible for roughly 50 more grams per mile of carbon dioxide emissions than the Toyota RAV4 SUV and BMW 3 sedan, and roughly 70 grams more than the Toyota Corolla, according to Quartz.
The Hummer EV Pickup costs roughly $110,000, well in excess of the $80,000 limit for pickups, SUVs and vans to qualify for the $7,500 tax credit for purchasing an electric vehicle provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, according to the IRS.
“President Biden is committed to lowering the cost of electric vehicles for all Americans and bringing more affordable electric vehicles onto the market,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News when asked why Biden was promoting tax credits with a car that did not qualify. “The President’s Inflation Reduction Act lowers costs for Americans, including for electric vehicles and energy at home.”
The 9,000 pound Hummer EV Pickup is powered by a more than 2,900 pound battery, which weighs more than an entire Honda Civic, according to The Verge. These batteries are seldom recycled due to time and costs, and the cobalt, lithium and other toxic chemicals necessary in their construction often end up in landfills, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Beyond the emissions generated from charging, the manufacturing process for electric vehicles often requires mining and processing cobalt, which releases increased emissions the larger a car is, according to ACEEE. In addition, cobalt mines — located primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — often also contain sulfur, which can toxify the surrounding environment for hundreds of years when exposed to air or water, the AAA reported.
Another ? for @potus @usdot & @SecretaryPete:
Your goal is 1/2 of new US cars be EV by 2030. But we face a shortage of battery minerals like lithium.
How does your promotion of the Hummer EV (w/a battery as heavy as a Honda Civic) affect that shortage?https://t.co/BBQWjTTOPx
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) January 30, 2023
The electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup is responsible for just 235 grams of emissions per mile, roughly 30 grams less than the Corolla and 210 grams fewer than the gas-powered F150, Quartz reported. The gas-powered Hummer H1 emits 889 grams of carbon dioxide per mile, making the Hummer EV Pickup roughly 62% more efficient than its gas-powered counterpart.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Daily Caller News Foundation request for comment.
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