Image: EVgo Connecticut Charging Station

Connecticut Moves To Soften EV Mandate

November 30, 2023December 1, 20231 year ago Jennifer Sensiba 1 Comment

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Recently, Connecticut’s Governor Ned Lamont shocked the EV world by backing out on a plan to mandate all new vehicles in the state be EVs by 2035. If this had been a Republican governor, it probably wouldn’t have been major news, but in this case, we’ve got an EV-supportive Democratic governor who’s backing down.

In this article, I’m going to explain why it’s a complicated issue, and why this might not be an entirely bad thing.

What Happened?

Let’s start with why this happened. Here’s a local media report that does a decent job of covering the basics in 2 minutes (article continues after video):

In short, the plan was about to run into a big legislative hurdle. The state’s legislature had a hearing scheduled for the next day, and it became clear that the plan wasn’t going to get through as proposed by the governor. So, rather than suffer through the embarrassment of having an important legislative and regulatory priority bomb out in public, the governor decided to withdraw the proposal entirely and regroup.

So, no, this isn’t the governor making an anti-EV move as much as backing out to come up with a plan that better fits the current political challenges.

Talking to media, a Republican legislator explained why they were opposing the 2035 ban. He cited “unanswered questions” such as cost, where people will be able to charge when everyone has an EV, how the state would come up with the money needed for a massive infrastructure program, and the cost of the cars themselves compared to ICE vehicles.

What’s Next for Connecticut’s EV Transition Plan?

The last paragraph may sound like common anti-EV talking points, but according to the Associated Press, Connecticut Democrats plan to meet these concerns head-on. They plan to meet on Monday to come up with some revised regulations that address the concerns while still moving forward as much as possible.

“We have to do more,” said House Speaker Matt Ritter. “We have to demonstrate to Connecticut residents that this switch will not only save the environment, save lives, and save our planet — but not leave you in a position where you can no longer afford a vehicle.”

There’s good news and bad news here. There’s plenty of time to regroup, as the next legislative session won’t start until February. But, when it comes to regulating emissions, the state can either go with federal regulations or adopt California’s rules. The Clean Air Act and other relevant law don’t really leave any other options.

But, that doesn’t mean the state can’t do other things to find a middle road between doing nothing for EVs and doing a complete ban by a certain date.

Why This Might Not Be A Bad Thing

From what I read in the AP article, EV activists were pretty smoking mad. The governor got boos from a crowd of them, and the media got some pretty spicy quotes from them.

“Unfortunately, a misinformation campaign fueled by the fossil fuel industry won and Connecticut residents will pay the price,” said Ruth Canovi, with the American Lung Association in Connecticut, in a written statement to the Associated Press. “[Connecticut] is now positioned to be the only clean car state from Virginia to Vermont to leave our residents out of these strong public health, climate change, and health equity policies this year.”

But, it’s important to keep in mind that a great policy that can’t pass isn’t really great policy at all. Sure, we can blame whoever we want for this, but at the end of the day, we as EV advocates need to also do what Connecticut Democrats are doing and take responsibility. Instead of playing the blame game, they’re saying they need to come up with a better plan that serves the state’s voters.

As we’ve seen over and over in policy debates, shoving something through either with a bare minimum of support (or, through horse trading, less than the minimum) results in public policy that can’t be implemented over the long haul. In other words, what’s good about a perfect idea that doesn’t fly? Nothing.

But, if they can craft a policy that better fits the reality on the ground in Connecticut, the chances of it sticking over the next decade or two instead of being repealed is much greater. So, the political haggling that the state has to go through right now will probably result in something that works out better and gives the state the biggest environmental benefits it could have realistically gotten.

We Also Shouldn’t Ignore All Criticism

Another thing we need to consider is that not all Republican criticism of EVs is based on falsehoods. Concerns about affordability and infrastructure are being exaggerated, but there are some real problems and challenges there that need to be addressed.

For one, the cost of EVs has not come down to where everyone can afford one yet. Yes, you can theoretically do a Model 3 for cheaper overall than a Toyota Camry, but not everyone can even afford a new car. Will this problem resolve itself by 2035? I’m optimistic personally, but we need to be able to show the wider population that doesn’t read EV websites that they aren’t going to have their horse taken away come 2035.

Another thing to consider is the role of non-car modes of transportation for the very bottom of the market. We don’t want people to feel like they’re being forced out of being able to own a beater, but giving people who are already barely able to afford even a beater should have good alternatives available. Better bike and micromobility infrastructure, better electric transit, and other things need to be part of this conversation (but NOT as an alternative people would be forced into).

The infrastructure challenge is another thing we can’t simply hand-wave away. The ambitious NEVI program is only going to cover major highways with the bare minimum, and if everyone has to buy an EV, those station will be overwhelmed pretty quickly. Being able to show the public that there’s a good way forward on that would go a long way toward building more support for EVs.

Featured image courtesy of EVgo.