logo
America's deep freeze is a fitting end to Democrats' electric car nightmare

America's deep freeze is a fitting end to Democrats' electric car nightmare

Telegraph14-02-2025

With 90 million people still in the path of the snow and ice storms sweeping across America, motorists can particularly appreciate president Donald J Trump's Day 1 executive order eliminating automobile manufacturers' requirements to sell electric vehicles.
How appropriate that the president signed his executive order on one of the coldest days of the year. Electric vehicles are estimated to lose an average of 20 per cent of their battery range in cold weather. Research has found that, in freezing temperatures, a Tesla Model X (with a heat pump) loses 11 per cent of normal range. A Volkswagen ID.4 loses 37 per cent.
Americans love choice, and drivers want to be able to choose their cars. Eight per cent of cars sold in 2024 were battery-powered electric, but president Joe Biden ordered his Environmental Protection Agency and his Department of Transportation to issue unpopular regulations that could have required the majority of all new passenger cars sold and a quarter of heavy lorries to be battery-powered electric by 2032.
President Trump has promised to undo these regulations and get rid of electric vehicle subsidies for manufacturers and drivers.
Electric cars can run out of power in ice storms. In many areas, the only cars seen on roads in the current spate of snowstorms are sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, or other four-wheel-drive vehicles.
New York City dropped its electric snowploughs because 'they could not plough the snow effectively' and 'conked out after four hours,' compared with 12 to 24 hours of operation for diesel snowploughs, according to New York Department of Public Sanitation commissioner Jessica Tisch, now New York City police commissioner.
Small businesses and farmers cannot take snow days off, so they rarely work with electric vehicles. That's good – imagine the economic loss of farmers and technicians and small businesses unable to work on snow days because their trucks and tractors 'conked out'.
President Trump plans to end the tax credit of up to $7,500 per car to buy or lease an electric vehicle, passed by Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act. Even with the $7,500 tax credit, car salesmen are not selling enough EVs to meet the mandate. In 2023 and 2024 they wrote to president Biden begging him to 'hit the brakes' on his regulations.
Over 80 per cent of these EV tax credits are claimed by households in the top fifth of the income distribution. Many use the vehicles as second cars for in-town trips, but for longer trips they have a gasoline-powered car.
The electric version of the base version of the Ford 150 pickup truck, the best-selling vehicle in America, costs almost an additional $30,000. Tesla's base prices start at $39,000 for a Model 3 and go up to almost $100,000 for a Model X. A diesel lorry can cost about $120,000; an electric lorry can cost as much as $450,000- $500,000, raising costs of transporting goods for everyone.
Plus, America doesn't even have the electrical grid capacity, the charging stations, or the technology to operate a fleet of EVs and long-haul electric lorries – and won't for quite some time. Vehicle chargers are competing for room on the electric grid with data centres, artificial intelligence technology, and demands for more heating and air conditioning.
Conventional cars can be easily refuelled at the pump in five or 10 minutes, but recharging an electric vehicle can take 45 minutes. If someone is already using the charging station, the wait can double. Most people don't want to let their EV batteries go below 20 per cent, and the charging rate can go down when it is charged over 80 per cent.
Privileged EV owners can recharge cars at home or at work. But not everyone has such facilities. Some live in houses and flats without garages and must rely on public charging stations for their EVs.
Although Congress allocated $5 billion in 2022 to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program to build 500,000 charging stations, only 58 are in operation today, according to The Washington Post. Tesla has its own network of charging stations for its cars, but drivers of other vehicles rely on private or government-provided charging stations.
Americans want to be energy-independent, but requirements for EVs make America's transportation network dependent on China, which strengthens the Chinese economy. China makes 80 per cent of the world's electric batteries, and the Chinese car company BYD is the world's largest electric vehicle producer.
In order to produce supplies of batteries for EVs and other components, China is increasing its construction of coal-fired power plants and carbon emissions. America has 204 coal-fired power plants, and China has 1,161 (half of all the coal-fired plants in the world). That's why president Biden's regulations on EVs would not achieve his objective of lowering global temperatures. At least 60 per cent of the electricity used to charge EVs in the US will have come from fossil fuels.
The bottom line is this: while some prefer EVs, others need conventional or hybrid cars for the advantages they offer – especially in snow. With president Trump's new executive orders, everyone will get their choice.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Frantic moment CNN reporter is hauled away by cops live on air at LA protests as anchor screams ‘what's going on?!'
Frantic moment CNN reporter is hauled away by cops live on air at LA protests as anchor screams ‘what's going on?!'

Scottish Sun

time23 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Frantic moment CNN reporter is hauled away by cops live on air at LA protests as anchor screams ‘what's going on?!'

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) COPS have detained a CNN reporter live on-air as he covered the tense Los Angeles protests. Anchor Laura Coates yelled out, "What's going on?" after watching national correspondent Jason Carroll being led away with his hands behind his back. 7 CNN national correspondent Jason Carroll was detained live on-air while covering the Los Angeles protests Credit: CNN 7 Carroll, seen in 2014, was told to put his hands behind his back and leave the area Credit: Alamy 7 Cops have clashed with protesters in the days-long protests over President Donald Trump's ICE raids Credit: AFP 7 Carroll was told that he would be arrested if he came back to the area Credit: CNN Carroll had been covering the fourth day of protests over Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration when he suddenly lost touch with Coates on Thursday evening. "Jason? What's going on? I hear you. What happened Jason?" Coates said live on air. "I am being detained," said Carroll in the distance as his cameraman filmed several feet behind him. Carroll then chatted with the cops, who confirmed that he wasn't being arrested. "We're letting you go, but you can't come back," said the officer before threatening to arrest Carroll if he returned to the scene. The two appeared to have a friendly interaction before Carroll was put behind a wall of cops and lost touch with Coates. Later, Carroll explained that the officers didn't put him in zip ties but did grab both of his hands and told him, "you are being detained." The reporter was stunned by the sudden change as he had been roaming the streets of Los Angeles covering the protests since that morning. "It is something that I wasn't expecting simply because we have been out here all day," he said. "Normally, the officers [...] realize the press is there doing a job." Trump sends another 2k National Guard to riot-ravaged LA as chaos spreads with arrests in NYC & Texas Carroll was led away around the same time that officials told demonstrators that they had to leave or else they would be arrested. They cuffed a number of protesters and charged them with failure to disperse to finally break up Thursday's demonstration. 7 Carroll said he was stunned by the detainment because he had been covering the protests all day with no issues Credit: CNN 7 PROTESTS RAGE ON The protests, which started over the weekend, heated up after Trump sent around 2,000 National Guard troops to help keep the peace, despite California Governor Gavin Newsom warning him to back off. Newsom claims that the peaceful protests criticizing Trump's immigration crackdown turned into a protest once the troops arrived. Meanwhile, Trump has insisted that Los Angeles would have "burned to the ground" if he hadn't sent the soldiers, as he plans to send 700 Marines to the city. "If I didn't 'SEND IN THE TROOPS' to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now," Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday morning. California has filed a lawsuit against Trump, accusing him of breaking the 10th Amendment when he sent in the guard. The protests have spawned more protests across the country, and hundreds of participants have been arrested. Trump has vowed to maintain law and order despite Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass begging him to pause the ICE raids. "There is a real fear in Los Angeles right now. Parents, workers, grandparents, young people scared to go about their daily lives," she said. "We are a city of immigrants. Washington is attacking our people, our neighborhoods and our economy."

Why Scotland 'must work together' to build on £317m St Andrews boost
Why Scotland 'must work together' to build on £317m St Andrews boost

Scotsman

time23 minutes ago

  • Scotsman

Why Scotland 'must work together' to build on £317m St Andrews boost

Call for collaboration in bid to ride on back of 'momentum in golf' in sport's birthplace Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A call to action has been issued for the whole of Scotland to help the country 'harvest an opportunity' to use golf as a tool for growing economic benefit. The idea is to create a 'ripple effect' from St Andrews being at the heart of visitors from around the world flocking in huge numbers to the sport's cradle. According to a report that has just been released following a survey conducted by the Sport Industry Research at Hallam Sheffield University, golf's economic value to St Andrews, Fife and the wider Scottish economy is £317 million annually - the equivalent of the country hosting three Open Championships every year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The figure was described as 'astonishing' as St Andrews Links Trust, which commissioned the survey, hosted an event at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh attended by North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain, Scottish Government Business Minister Richard Lochhead and various other stakeholders on Tuesday. Neil Coulson, CEO of St Andrews Links Trust, is flanked Scottish Government Business Minister Richard Lochhead and Rob Dickson, Director of Industry & Events at VisitScotland, at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh | St Andrews Links Trust The economic impact assessment focused on St Andrews, with the Links Trust, a charitable organisation that currently operates seven courses in the Fife town and is negotiating at the moment to add The Duke's to that list, being praised for having the 'foresight and tenacity' to commission the survey by VisitScotland's Director of Industry & Events, Rob Dickson. In 2023 alone, the Links Trust courses hosted more than 280,000 rounds - 54 per cent were played by visitors and 46 per cent by local ticket holders - with Americans making up nearly half of the 72 per cent of the visitors coming from overseas. 'I think there is much to celebrate - we are in a fantastic position,' said Chamberlain of where St Andrews stands in the game around the world. On a golf engagement at the same venue last year, Lochhead had been delighted about the Scottish Government and VisitScotland agreeing a new 11-year partnership with The R&A that will see 14 majors, including the 155th Open at St Andrews in 2027, being staged in the home of golf in a ten-year period. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Golf at the moment is very vibrant - there is a lot of momentum,' he said on this latest visit across the road from the Scottish Parliament, adding with a smile: 'Golf is playing a big role in tourism and the role it plays is super important.' Concurring, Dickson described playing golf in Scotland as a 'flagship experience' that was 'top of the wishlist for many golfers' and said of the new report: 'We wish to be the world's best when it comes to tourism and looking at the success of St Andrews is no bad place to start'. In a speech, Neil Coulson, the chief executive of the Links Trust, said in a proud tone that St Andrews is where golfers from far and wide 'make their dreams come true' by playing there, especially the Old Course, but also said it was a 'national, economic, cultural and social asset'. On the back of a Drive initiative launched this year that is offering cut-price rounds to Scottish golfers, he vowed to ensure that St Andrews 'remains a place that is accessible and belongs to the many, not the few' and also that local golfers 'continue to have access to play on our courses and that tee times don't just become trophies for the privileged'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Old Course at St Andrews is where golfers from around the world 'make their dreams come true' | St Andrews Links Trust In a message to stakeholders, meanwhile, it was stressed that a bid to use the report as a tool for growth extended well beyond the boundaries of the most-famous golfing venue in the world. 'This just isn't about golf at St Andrews,' declared Coulson. 'It's about how we work together to recognise what the country has to offer, the potential of 'Brand Scotland', to support local communities and to build a thriving local economy. We must work together. Collaboration is required across Government, industry, tourism and transport to harvest the opportunity to grow.' Asked later by The Scotsman what he saw that growth being, he added: 'I think there has to be some joined-up conversations about infrastructure and how people move around. And also about the experiences of people. There's lots of different sports and tourism sectors doing really good things, but it is how you join those up so the distillery piece is connected to a golf piece that is connected to a heritage piece. At the moment, they are a little bit isolated. They do really good things on their own, but I think the power of joining those up has got to be huge.' He acknowledged that the potential for growth in St Andrews itself in terms of attracting even more visitors was limited. 'At the end of the day, we have a finite amount of capacity,' conceded Coulson. 'So we need to maintain a balance between local and international and that is very important. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'St Andrews is an intrinsic link between the community and the golf course. We can't just flood it with visitors and ignore that local dynamic. It is not a case of introducing more visitors. In our space, it is understanding what the value of the visitors is that we have now and then looking at how we spread the benefit. 'We can't grow economic and social benefit by just getting more people into St Andrews. But we can do it by trying to collaborate and pushing some of that around Scotland, so we can be a catalyst for people coming - that would be a good thing. 'There are lots of great places to visit and great places to go and stay and experience. It doesn't have to be St Andrews. We might be the driver for them to come in but they can then go out and do other things. That's how I think we grow. It's not just about St Andrews; it's about the national assets that are out there.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad

Trump administration live updates: Pentagon official says deploying National Guard to L.A. will cost $134 million
Trump administration live updates: Pentagon official says deploying National Guard to L.A. will cost $134 million

NBC News

time37 minutes ago

  • NBC News

Trump administration live updates: Pentagon official says deploying National Guard to L.A. will cost $134 million

What to know today NEW JERSEY ELECTIONS: Voters in New Jersey head to the polls today to pick the Democratic and Republican nominees for the governor's race in the first high-profile primaries since the November 2024 election. PETE HEGSETH TESTIFIES: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparred with Democratic lawmakers while testifying this morning at a House hearing about the department's budget requests. LOS ANGELES PROTESTS: A top Pentagon official at the hearing estimated that deploying members of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles in response to immigration protests would cost the department around $134 million. TRUMP'S TESLA IS GONE: President Donald Trump's red Tesla, which he purchased to support Elon Musk, is no longer parked outside the White House after the duo's blow-up last week. Yesterday, the president told reporters that he may 'move the Tesla around a little bit.' House Speaker Mike Johnson says California Gov. Newsom should be 'tarred and feathered' Syedah Asghar and Rebecca Shabad House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said today that California Gov. Gavin Newsom 'ought to be tarred and feathered" as punishment for his handling of protests in Los Angeles. Johnson stopped short of saying Newsom should be arrested — as Trump has suggested — saying he wouldn't offer that analysis, but claiming Newsom was an 'accomplice' in law enforcement agents being 'assaulted.' 'Look, that's not my lane. I'm not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested, but he ought to be tarred and feathered. I'll say that,' Johnson told reporters at a press conference. Show more Cost of National Guard and Marine deployment in L.A. is approximately $134 million, DOD official says Megan Lebowitz The estimated cost of deploying the National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles is $134 million, according to Bryn MacDonnell, a special assistant to Hegseth. She said the costs are largely related to temporary duty travel costs such as travel, housing and food. She was responding to a question from Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., who had asked for the estimated cost to deploy the National Guard and the Marines to respond to protests in Los Angeles. Rep. Mikie Sherrill hits Trump over military in Los Angeles Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a New Jersey Democrat running for governor, criticized Trump's decision to send Marines to Los Angeles amid unrest over immigration raids. 'It's a dangerous situation to put military on the streets of the country,' she said after casting her ballot in today's primary. Sherrill, who previously was a Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, said law enforcement and military personnel are trained in 'something very, very different.' 'If a governor feels that that is not the case, that governor can always go to the federal government to ask for support. That is not the case here,' Sherrill said. Sherrill is one of six Democrats running for governor of New Jersey. Abigail Spanberger has cash advantage in Virginia governor's race Bridget Bowman Former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger has a sizable cash advantage in the Virginia governor's race, according to new campaign finance reports filed yesterday. Spanberger's campaign had $14.3 million in its account as of June 5, while GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears' campaign had almost $3 million on hand. Spanberger raised $6.4 million and spent $3.2 million from April 1 through June 5, while Earle-Sears raised $3.5 million and spent $4.6 million over that same period. Spanberger and Earle-Sears are facing off in this year's gubernatorial race in Virginia to replace term-limited GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Rep. Ed Case to Hegseth: 'I don't think you're talking to the right people' Megan Lebowitz Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, challenged Hegseth about whether he thought cuts to foreign aid programs, much of which are outside the Defense Department's jurisdiction, affected Hegseth's job and the U.S. military. Hegseth said no, arguing that programs like USAID were "wasteful and duplicitous." He said that he has "heard nothing about" allies' problems about international organizations, arguing the organizations were not "serving U.S. interests." "I don't think you're talking to the right people," Case interjected. Show more Hegseth spars with Democrats during hearing Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., clashed with Hegseth over the cost of deploying the National Guard and military to Los Angeles. McCollum asked Hegseth for information about the funding for troop deployments in Los Angeles, as well as whether any trainings were not taking place because troops were deployed. Hegseth began by referring to the George Floyd murder protests, prompting McCollum to interject multiple times and urge him to address the budget question. Show more Rep. Rosa DeLauro criticizes DOD firings and handling of war in Ukraine Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., criticized staffing shakeups at the Defense Department, including the firing of the department's inspector general and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, CQ Brown. "Mr. Secretary, of all the Cabinet departments, stability at the Department of Defense is the most critical for Americans' safety and security," she said. She also highlighted the administration's handling of the war in Ukraine, accusing the U.S. of turning its back on allies. "Why would anyone trust us or partner with us when we are busy undermining our allies' economies and encouraging China to fill the vacuum we are leaving by abandoning our humanitarian mission?" she asked Share Hegseth kicks off testimony before Congress Megan Lebowitz Hegseth has begun his testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing focused on the department's budget. The hearing is one of several congressional hearings that Hegseth is attending this week. Rep. Betty McCollum criticizes administration on L.A. response and decision to fire military officials Delivering opening remarks before Hegseth's testimony begins, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., criticized the administration's handling of the Los Angeles protests, saying that deploying National Guard troops was "premature" and that the order to deploy Marines was "downright escalatory." McCollum also criticized the administration's decision to fire Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman CQ Brown and other military leaders, saying it "appalled" her. "Many Americans, myself included, have witnessed what is a deliberate effort to silence and diminish the achievements of minorities and women in the military," she said. "Their dedication, their heroism, their sacrifice on behalf of our nation deserve recognition, not erasure." Sen. Bill Cassidy raises 'fear' RFK Jr. will stack vaccine committee with vaccine skeptics Ben Kamisar Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, who heads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, raised concerns in a brief post on social media about the Health and Human Services Department's gutting of an independent vaccine advisory committee. Cassidy wouldn't elaborate on that warning when Capitol reporters asked about it last night. But the decision comes weeks after Cassidy praised the health secretary for having "lived up" to the commitments Kennedy made to secure Cassidy's confirmation vote, one of which was to "maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes." Yesterday, the CDC announced all 17 members of that vaccine advisory panel were being removed, with Kennedy saying the 'committee has been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine.' Cassidy, who is a physician, said in his post that "the fear" is the committee "will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion." Trump's red Tesla is no longer parked outside the West Wing After reports last week that Trump was considering selling or giving away the red Tesla that he purchased this spring in a show of support for Elon Musk, NBC News' White House team has been tracking the location of the vehicle. As of this morning, the car was no longer parked outside the West Wing. Yesterday, the president told inquiring reporters that he may 'move the Tesla around a little bit' and that he has 'a lot of locations' at which he could keep it, as he seemed to dismiss the idea that he intended to offload it entirely. Trump and Musk had a public falling out last week following the billionaire tech mogul's criticism of the massive Republican domestic policy bill, prompting the two to engage in an escalating feud on social media. The White House did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for information on the Tesla's status. Sen. Ruben Gallego endorses Rep. Angie Craig in Minnesota Senate primary Sahil Kapur Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is endorsing Rep. Angie Craig for the Democratic primary in Minnesota's Senate race, jumping into what is shaping up to be a contentious intraparty contest. In a statement first reported by NBC News, the freshman senator explained why he's backing Craig over Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who was endorsed last month by Gallego's fellow Democratic senator, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. 'Washington needs more people who are focused on getting things done. I'm supporting Angie because I've seen firsthand her ability to bring people together, listen to everyone and actually get results,' Gallego said. 'Angie is a fighter and is someone who leads with integrity, reason and a deep patriotic belief in our democracy.' Show more Congresswoman from Los Angeles says community is 'very scared' Democratic Rep. Norma Torres, who represents parts of Los Angeles County, said today that her 'constituents are very scared' of the sweeping Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions taking place in communities there. 'They don't want to get caught up in a situation where ICE is profiling and detaining them because of the color of their skin,' Torres said on MSNBC's "Way Too Early." Torres added that she and other Democratic members were barred from entering an ICE facility in downtown LA. 'It's not supposed to work this way. In the last Trump administration we made sure we changed the law so members of Congress would not be blocked from entering and doing oversight. … Imagine if your loved one just didn't come home one day and you tried to locate them but ICE is playing a shell game, transferring them from one location to another because they aren't interest in due process.' Show more U.S.-China trade talks kick off second day in London The U.S. and China are resuming trade talks in London today after yesterday's session. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are leading the U.S. side. "I expect to go all day today," Lutnick told reporters. "So they're going well, we're spending lots of time together." Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week and said in a post on Truth Social that it "resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries." "There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products," Trump had said after the call, going on to point to the talks between the two countries' representatives. In recent weeks, both countries have accused each other of violating a preliminary trade agreement, which had walked back the steepest tariffs. Hegseth to testify before House Appropriations subcommittee this morning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will appear before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense for an oversight hearing, marking the first time the Pentagon chief will deliver testimony to a House panel since his Senate confirmation. Hegseth will be joined by Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The House subcommittee is chaired by Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif. NBC News reported yesterday that the White House has struggled to hire senior advisers to Hegseth, with three people rejecting potential roles and Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles poring over potential candidates on his behalf. Hegseth came under intense criticism after media reports that he shared sensitive information about a U.S. military operation in Yemen on Signal group chats, including one that inadvertently had a journalist added to it. 'We're happy to have this fight': Trump administration leans into California protests Trump's immigration agenda has met a groundswell of opposition in Los Angeles, the country's second-largest city. At least 56 people have been arrested so far in massive protests against the administration's immigration raids in the city Friday. The demonstrations have spilled over onto one of the region's largest freeways, and federal authorities are facing criticism after they arrested, and apparently injured, a prominent labor leader. In response, the White House has threatened to arrest California's governor and mobilized Marines to support National Guard troops in defending federal property — even though state officials say they don't want the assistance and are now suing the administration. For the White House, this scene — Trump battling a blue state over his signature issue — is a political win, officials said. It's a nationally watched saga of the sort that has long defined his career: a made-for-TV moment.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store