Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg 1-on-1, discussing future of EVs

FOX 2 (WJBK) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sat down with FOX 2's Tim Skubick to talk about the future of electric vehicles, college football and more on Tuesday.

Buttigieg was formerly the mayor of South Bend, Indiana and a candidate for president in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. He currently lives in Traverse City with his husband and two-year-old twins.

On Wednesday, Buttigieg appeared on Michigan State University's campus for a public service forum with former Michigan Governor Jim Blanchard, discussing a variety of topics – including infrastructure investments made by President Joe Biden.

He is a true Michigander until it comes to college football.

FOX 2: MSU Spartans or the Fighting Irish?

Buttigieg: That's not a tough question for me. I'm delighted to be an adopted Michigander but the Irish are always going to be my team.

The Biden administration is making a strong effort to persuade drivers to transition to EVs, but the middle-class driving population is resisting. 

FOX 2: Would you concede that Mr. And Mrs. America are just not excited about (EVs)?

Buttigieg: The majority of Americans don't own an EV yet. And again, our goal is that we'll begin to have a majority of Americans owning an EV by the early 2030s. 

Data shows 57% of those buying an EV earn over $100,000 a year; 87% of the buyers are White. Those between the ages of 57 to 75 are the least likely to make the shift.

Buttigieg: Older Americans tend to be less likely to be the first to adopt newer technologies. That's okay.

On top of that, Ford is scaling back its EV factory in Marshall.

However, Buttigieg said they are just adjusting their pace.

"There's no going back, any more than we're going back to rotary phones," he said. "The question is, how quickly will it happen? And how much will it be made in the United States?"