04.28.23

Sullivan, Rick Scott Introduce DIRTY CAR EV Act to Reveal Truth Behind Carbon Footprint of Electric Vehicles

WASHINGTON—Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Barrasso (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Mike Lee (R-Utah)  introduced the Directing Independent Research To Yield Carbon Assessment Regarding Electric Vehicles (DIRTY CAR EV) Act to require the Comptroller General of the United States, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to conduct a study on the true carbon footprint of electric vehicles and research the ramifications of widespread electric vehicle usage on the country’s electrical grids.

“The American people deserve answers about the Biden administration’s plan to effectively force them to buy EVs,” Senator Sullivan said. “The IEA says we will need 30 times the current global supply of several key minerals for this transition. Currently, China sources most of these minerals, while the Biden Administration has been halting critical mining projects throughout the country, including in Alaska with the Ambler Road project. This is clearly a national security risk. The American people need to know what the full implications of this transition will be – for our wallets, the environment, and most importantly, for our national security.” 

“The Biden administration continues to push the use of electric vehicles by forcing the automotive industry to shift away from the use of fossil fuels,”Senator Scott said. “We need clear data on what impacts this will have on American families and our environment. There is ample evidence to suggest that EVs are not as clean as people are being led to believe and folks deserve to know the truth. Knowing the carbon footprint of each electric vehicle and the impact on our electrical grids are key to making informed decisions and preventing widespread government regulations and gross overreach.”

“The Biden administration wants to force Americans into expensive electric vehicles without telling them the whole story,” Senator Barrasso said. “Huge amounts of mined raw materials go into each electric vehicle. This legislation will make sure that when it comes to the environmental impacts, electric vehicles don’t get a free ride as they do today. Washington should ensure a level playing field and preserve consumer choice.” 

“From mining critical minerals in China, to charging station emissions, to landfill battery disposals we do not have a firm understanding of the cradle-to-grave impact of Electric Vehicles,” Senator Marshall said. “Despite not fully knowing EV’s impact on the climate, the Biden Administration is using the heavy hand of government to force everyone into driving them. This will hurt Americans’ wallets, our global competitiveness, and our domestic economy. The Department of Energy has failed to provide this information in reports previously required by Congress, I am pleased to join Sen. Scott in introducing legislation to obtain this much needed data.”

“The Biden Administration's precipitous and seemingly blind push for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles is emblematic of their customary careless approach to policymaking,” Senator Lee said. “With the Department of Energy still unable to provide convincing evidence to back this priority, it further underscores the pressing need for the legislation Sen. Scott is introducing.”  

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