3,000 auto dealers have sent Joe Biden a petition declaring that they do not want to be mandated to sell electric cars. Are they right?

Question

Car dealerships have been having difficulties selling their electric cars. Ford had lost billions of dollars on the Ford Lightning pickup truck. They say that electric cars just sit on their lots and nobody wants to buy them. Is it right for the Biden administration to force these companies out of business? Would you like the government telling you what kind of car you can buy?

MrOracle · Accepted Answer

Here's the thing: even if there were ZERO incentives and government requirements (which is exactly how it SHOULD be), the overwhelming majority of new cars sold (which is different from all cars on the road) would be electric. Why? Because electric cars are (for Teslas)/will be (for the other companies who survive) superior for the way MOST people use their cars.

Of COURSE there are going to be outliers. Today, there is no electric vehicle that is really appropriate for towing a big (but not quite semi-truck big) trailer longer distances, for example. You can pick out a few other edge cases as well, but these apply to a relatively tiny percentage of cars on the road.

MOST people drive their car to work and back, or drive to a jobsite or two, or to get groceries, pick up the kids, or out on a date. Today, already, there are EVs that are better and cheaper at doing this kind of mainstream driving for most people (yes, most of those have a Tesla badge today). As time passes, EVs will continue to improve, as will public charging networks (everyone is moving to the Tesla charging standard - NACS or North American Charging Standard - by 2025), though most people will continue to charge their cars at home almost exclusively. And this means new car buyers will increasingly buy EVs, whose prices are coming down, instead of ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles, whose prices will rise faster as economies of scale are lost. This will all happen REGARDLESS of government programs or incentives, for the same reason virtually everyone owns a smartphone instead of a feature phone today.

Thus, I absolutely agree that these dealers should NOT be required by the government to sell EVs.

Having said that, the reason EVs are sitting on their lots unsold is because THOSE EVs are complete crap *relative* to the EV gold standard, which is Tesla. Most of them are not even cars that were built from the ground up as EVs, but are existing bodies that were factory converted to EVs, without the necessary efficiencies that make them great. There are far too many parts and materials, so they are more expensive to build AND maintain, and they're also too heavy, so they get less range, AND they often can't (or just don't) take advantage of the space made available with no engine, transmission, power train, or exhaust, as a purpose-built EV would.

The better non-Tesla competitors - mostly Hyundai/Kia in the US currently - aren't having a problem selling their EVs. But Ford and GM, along with Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and the VW Group, who didn't take EVs seriously, have only released crappy 1st-Gen EVs that are simply not competitive AND are priced too high. Thus, their cars sit unsold.

The media (who gets SIGNIFICANT funding from the car companies to the tune of billions of dollars a year in advertising) and the government (who benefits significantly from their control of the unions) is constantly telling everyone that EV demand isn't there, but sales numbers tell a very different story. *GOOD* EVs - Teslas especially, but also Hyundai/Kia, and in other countries outside North America, BYD - continue to see increases every month. What's fallen off is the demand for crappy 1st-Gen Fords, GMs, and VWs.

The move to EVs is much like the move from horses to cars, and most legacy auto companies won't survive the transition - a transition that is already well underway and continuing to increase. Half-hearted attempts won't cut it, and will just allow someone else to come in and take the market away from them.

lightbulb27 · Accepted Answer

That's a sad testament to abuse of power. This guy mandates covid shots in the govt/military and now tries to pull those people they threw out, back into military, because can't get enough people.

And they want to force sales of electric cars when the grid isn't there to support it. The democrat mind is a special one. If ya really believe in the global warming issue and that electric is the solution, then makes sense to push it. but lets not produce them with coal... ya know? and put some dang solar panels ontop the whitehouse so can charge your electric limo. lead!

The easy solution is coming, should they (democrats) win again... very high fuel prices. only thing that moves people is expensive fuel and cheap electric. They cannot do that right now because it trash their 2024 hopes.

oddly... the car in his garage is a polluter... so is his limo, the helicopter, the airplane.

As a gesture of good will... he should fill the white house lawn with trees to absorb the CO2 he's creating. that make more sense.

sage2021 · Accepted Answer

From the minute I heard how much one of these cars cost and that we all have to get rid of the cars we drive now and start driving electric cars by
2035 with some circumstances added in. Like $70'000-80'000 for one car.

I'm surprised at that great price you'd think people would be knocking each other over to be first to buy one. But at that great price, why not buy two?

Seriously, I think the car dealerships should send the government a bill for taking up space on their car lots following Biden want to have the dealers start selling them. And a storage fee if applicable.

This really isn't funny. At first we may have thought it was, but Joe thinks they're cool cool 😎 and he thinks we all should have one.

These 3,000 auto dealers will need a lot more to cause it to happen. That's not many.

What I would do us take these damn cars off the lots, put them in or on trucks and drive them to the White House and Pennsylvania Ave use, park them on the streets with FOR SALE signs and add God bless at the bottom of the signs. We will see how long they stay there.

DubiousIntentions · Accepted Answer

I would say that if they are going to do that, do like what China does to control the population growth. Just allow people to have only 2 children. So allow households to retain at least one gasoline powered car and the rest be electric. Remember all those ads that said cook with gas, it's cheaper? Remember the businesses who switched over to propane to power their vehicles? How many are still around tnat still use it. This electric car sounds great, but it is a money loser in the long run. The demise of the gas-powered vehicle. Where are the flowers and R. I. P. sign?

OlderAndWiser · Answer

The far left would be happy if we all walked or rode bicycles everywhere. I don't expect them to have much concern for car dealers going out of business.

WindAtMyBack · Answer

I agree with the dealers. The left has a problem with reality. I'm all for reducing pollution. But electric vehicles are not the magic wand people once thought they would be. Buyers are starting to realize that. Even people who buy those cars just to support the technology are starting to realize that.

I think R&D should continue on electric vehicles, but we are not even close to the point of replacing gas powered cars with EV - and may not ever be. Forcing companies to go electric means reducing efforts to find other alternatives, some of which are known to work.

Almost everyone I know who has bought a new car in the last ten years has considered all electric or hybrid. After really looking into it, almost all of them decide against it. It's not that people are completely against electric cars. Buying a new car is a major purchase and people spend a lot of time making their decision. EV is just not the best choice for most people, and at this point is still a distant second for a variety of reasons.

Anonymous · Answer

Electric cars have 80% more problems than regular cars, yet they're mandating that people who can't afford the car much less the repairs have to buy them. Much of the time they can't be repaired and have to be replaced.

The left is out of control. Stop voting them into office.

When Trump said Make America Great again, he didn't mean go back to racist times or times when women were resigned to be housewives, he meant give us back our personal freedom.

normalice · Answer

Expensive EVs sit on the lot because people want cheap ones. Manufacturers mthought they could double dip and take the government subsidies for developing EVs and then also develop high end ones that would boost profits. The ridiculously demand for the Bolt should make it obvious that the first car company that can sell a sedan or crossover ev for under 30k pretty much gets all the money.

That said, the new dodge truck with a built in range extender looks like the first time the EV push did something really smart.

Lliam · Answer

Mandating all electric is such a scam. It doesn't benefit the environment at all. In fact, it causes more harm.

How about mandating all electric limos, Lambos, yachts and private jets for the billionaires who are profiting from the bullshit CO2 scam?

I wouldn't own an electric car. For one thing, it means no more road trips; no more freedom.

strateguy632 · Answer

bad poll, the answer to first question would consistently be opposite of second question. 1 "not mandated, right" if yes then 2, would you like mandate? no. i voted no on second question but ruined the poll.

also it can be interpreted 100% pro mandate. all no answered first, not right. all yes answered second government decides.

AviatorTom · Answer

This post confused me. The headline question asked if the dealers are right, and the last sentence in the description asked if government should mandate selling EVs.

I said No, answering the second question.

I'm guessing others may have been similarly confused.

GoodGuyBreakingBad · Answer

Every auto dealer should be allowed to sell what cars they want without being put out of business because they are electric cars, but I do agree people driving gas cars should be allowed to drive them too and not have to worry about them going out of business either.

Dargil · Answer

Yes, they are. No need to defend this outlook. What happens if leftists ban smart phones in favor of flip phones with no internet access? What happens if leftists ban tampons in favor of old style pads? They are gearing up to use climate change to control commerce and peoples behaviors.

slatyb · Answer

Do you know why they don't want to sell electric vehicles? Because dealerships make a lot of money servicing gasoline and diesel vehicles. Electric vehicles are far simpler. They don't need oil changes or catalytic converters or exhaust systems or a water cooling system or fuel injectors etc.

TrueConfection · Answer

Yes, they are right to send the petition and no, I would not like the government to tell me what kind of car to buy.

Imaguyandagirl · Answer

I don't feel it's right because we could run out of gasoline and oil also gas cars have a high rate of air pollution and if we start taking energy from renewable sources the earth may be able to recover from the damage we've done.

molonski2 · Answer

The market will decide thats the whole point of a free market ( take Kodak for example ) zero need for any mandates , the cars need to be good enough and the correct price , dont force things on dealers , thats just stupid.

OddBeMe · Answer

I don’t know. A) auto dealers can sell broke down cars for scrap. So not sure what mandate this is. B) usually a mandate of this type is for dealers who want financial incentives or something specific from the govt. In that case, YES, the govt should be able to dictate terms.

Avicenna · Answer

Since when does Beijing Biden actually listen to the "voters" and follow policies that would benefit the US rather than the CCP? He's entirely under the thumb of far-left extremists.

RavVid · Answer

Our prime minister is a soft cock with the same idea. The only things getting up is inflation, interest rates and electricity prices

Miristheiss · Answer

Yes. Free market. It was never the role or power of government to mandate what companies have to sell.

jshm2 · Answer

Ford makes shit cars anyway. Plus most American cars are crap, but highly profitable for sellers. Hence they want to keep things that way.

Jersey2 · Answer

I like fast cars, like that Super Sport Camaro with the 50/Slicks on it. But, now I was a Tesla with Ludacris Speed. Good Electric cars will blow away combustion engines. Its sad but true.

Jamie05rhs · Answer

You f*cked up your poll, brother. The questions you asked at the end of the description paragraph are the opposite of the original question.

BLP11520 · Answer

Where are all the minerals for batteries coming from?>>CHINA!!! Where does the electricity come from? Have you all thought about that? Limited range and cost of replacing batteries?

Iron_Man · Answer

I have a nice car but it doesn’t start a 1978 Firebird formula but I haven’t tried to start it. How much can I get for it

AngryCarl2 · Answer

At the moment people still have a choice what car they want to buy. When petrol vehicles are banned, what then?

WhiteBoyChill · Answer

They’re right, but what would be awesome is if they came together and all endorsed Trump for President

Anonymous · Answer

Hell yes, that clown has no business forcing that onto the public.

jimmy2 · Answer

It's more like 95% of people don't want them

3,000 auto dealers have sent Joe Biden a petition declaring that they do not want to be mandated to sell electric cars. Are they right?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

Every auto dealer should be allowed to sell what cars they want without being put out of business because they are electric cars, but I do agree people driving gas cars should be allowed to drive them too and not have to worry about them going out of business either.

3,000 auto dealers have sent Joe Biden a petition declaring that they do not want to be mandated to sell electric cars. Are they right?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

Every auto dealer should be allowed to sell what cars they want without being put out of business because they are electric cars, but I do agree people driving gas cars should be allowed to drive them too and not have to worry about them going out of business either.

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