17 retired military officials raise alarm on Biden’s electric vehicle push

FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of 17 retired military officials — together with a number of one-, two-, and three-star officers — are elevating the alarm on President Biden’s aggressive electric vehicle (EV) push over its nationwide safety implications.

In a letter addressed to Biden and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, the officials led by retired U.S. Army Major General James Marks warned that the president’s plans for mass EV proliferation will improve reliance on Chinese provide chains. They wrote that regulatory initiatives aimed toward incentivizing EV adoption “intensify America’s vulnerability to political interference by the Chinese Communist Party.”

“There is no doubt EVs will play a significant role in diversifying America’s transportation systems. Yet we believe your plans will rush our transition to EVs before the infrastructure necessary to support it is in place,” the officials wrote. “This trajectory will only position the U.S. to become more reliant on China for critical minerals and manufacturing that are necessary for the rapid expansion of EV markets this administration envisions.”

“And even more concerning is the fact that this reliance hinges upon China’s goodwill to export those minerals and manufactured goods to the U.S.,” the letter continued. (*17*)

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President Biden makes his entrance at General Motors’ Factory ZERO electric vehicle meeting plant in Detroit, Michigan, on Nov. 21, 2021. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

The officials took specific problem with the EPA’s April 2023 proposal to implement the most aggressive tailpipe emissions ever crafted. If finalized and applied, a staggering 67% of latest sedan, crossover, SUV and light-weight truck; as much as 50% of bus and rubbish truck; 35% of short-haul freight tractor; and 25% of long-haul freight tractor purchases may very well be electric by 2032, the EPA projected.

The White House stated on the time that rising emissions requirements for gas-powered automobiles would not directly incentivize the adoption of zero-emission automobiles and supply a “clear pathway for a continued rise in EV sales.” Biden beforehand set a objective of guaranteeing 50% of automotive purchases are electric by 2030. 

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Marks and the 16 different retired military officials famous that EVs are largely dependent on elements made in China and uncooked supplies processed in China.

Workers assemble electric automobiles at a manufacturing unit in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province of China, on March 28, 2023. (VCG/VCG through Getty Images)

“At a nearly tenfold increase over current electric vehicle sales, this proposed rule is a clear example of tone-deaf policymaking that favors the geopolitical advantages currently held by China in this market,” they continued of their letter. 

“We would be exposing our economy and national security interests if we consciously link America’s economic and transportation stability to the enterprise of a country you yourself described as an economic ‘ticking time bomb,’” they stated.

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According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) China produces about 75% of all lithium-ion batteries, a key part of EVs, worldwide. The nation additionally boasts 70% of manufacturing capability for cathodes and 85% for anodes, two key components of such batteries. 

In addition, greater than 50% of lithium, cobalt and graphite processing and refining capability is positioned in China, the IEA knowledge confirmed. Those three crucial minerals, along with copper and nickel, are important for EV batteries. Chinese funding corporations have additionally been aggressive in buying stakes in African mines in recent times to make sure a agency management over mineral manufacturing.

President Biden talks to EPA Administrator Michael Regan throughout an environmental justice ceremony on the White House final yr. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

At the identical time, the officials moreover famous that, in August, China imposed new restrictions on the exports of gallium and germanium, two further minerals utilized in EV batteries, inflicting costs to rise. 

China’s strategic positioning within the EV trade have to be addressed, in accordance with the letter, earlier than the U.S. strikes forward with electrification methods and laws that can “artificially increase EV demand.”

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In addition to Marks, retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Robert Harward, retired U.S. Marine Corps Major General Mastin Robeson, retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral James Carey, retired U.S. Air Force Major General Bentley Rayburn, and retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General E.G. Shuler additionally signed onto the letter together with retired colonels, captains, commanders and majors.

The EPA did not instantly reply to a request for remark.