Electric vehicles proving a political hot potato ahead of 2024 election in Michigan
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - When it comes to the 2024 race, one of the biggest hot potato issues is electric vehicles.
The new venture for the auto industry has also become a line in the sand for Democrats and Republicans as progressives cheer on their adoption while conservatives fight mandates around their construction.
President Joe Biden has pushed hard to boost the sale of EVs. So has Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, and energy secretary Jennifer Granholm - all Democrats with strong ties to Michigan.
However, in the state known for building vehicles, opinions on electric cars and trucks are more divided on the issue than the political brass at the top.
According to an EPIC-MRA poll done with the Detroit Free Press, 41% of the state approves of them while 55% disapprove of the Biden administration's plan pushing for more production.
Only four voting groups in the state favor pushing for more electric vehicles: college grads, African Americans, young voters, and Democrats. Among the more notable statistics is that only 37% of independent voters agree with the policy.
Granholm, who is a former governor of Michigan, announced a hefty federal grant to revamp the General Motors Grand River plant to increase EV production. Ironically, among those who build them, less than half of those unionmembers agree with the push.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has continued attacking Democrats' support for the vehicles. Once a common theme for him to ridicule, he has since softened his stance on electric vehicles - including at a rally in Michigan last week.
It may have to do with Tesla owner Elon Musk's recent promise to donate $45 million to a super pac supporting Trump.
"I'm constantly talking about electric cars but I don't mean I'm not against them - I'm totally for them," Trump said at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. "I've had them, I've driven them, they're incredible. But they're not for everybody."
He's argued that electric vehicles should not be 100% of the market. So far, the Biden Administration hasn't gone that far.
AAA: 63% of US adults 'very unlikely' to buy EV as next car amid rising hybrid interest
Stumbling blocks for buyers include cost, a lack of available charging stations and range anxiety from the annual study.