Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, led a delegation of Senate Republicans in calling out the Biden administration for claiming that electric vehicles are zero-emission when they actually are not.
Ernst and three of her colleagues on Tuesday sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan demanding the agency develop guidelines so that EVs "are not deceptively advertised as zero-emission vehicles to American consumers."
They cited a United Kingdom rule banning carmakers "from referring to EVs as 'zero-emission vehicles unless'" the ad clarifies the designation is true only while the car is being driven.
The senators wrote, "Most EVs today use lithium-ion batteries, made of lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite. Mining these minerals is a carbon-intensive process that utilizes extensive land, water, and energy resources. For every one pound of lithium mined, 3069 pounds of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is emitted into the air."
They likened charging an EV to running a washing machine five times a day, adding, "A majority of that additional power will come from non-renewable sources, as 60% of electricity generation comes from fossil fuels. Your agency must not ignore the added electricity demand an EV requires and the carbon emissions charging such a vehicle produces."
The senators wrote, "EVs may not emit CO2 while being driven, but they emit other forms of toxic particles at a larger and faster rate than a standard internal combustion engine vehicle."
They concluded by asking for a response "detailing the FTC's plan to develop clear standards for manufacturers and dealers to accurately advertise these vehicles" by Sept. 23.
The letter is signed by Ernst, as well as Republican Sens. Mike Crapo of Idaho, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska.
Ernst has long fought President Joe Biden's EV mandate and last December introduced the Unplug the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Program Act, which calls for a repeal of Biden's "$7.5 billion boondoggle that has resulted in just seven EV charging stations being built," her office said.
Kate McManus ✉
Kate McManus is a New Jersey-based Newsmax writer who's spent more than two decades as a journalist.
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