


Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) pushed back on two proposed Environmental Protection Agency tailpipe regulations that would, if passed, fast-track the nation’s transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles.
The Florida senator submitted a letter to Gary Gensler, chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, on Wednesday, the Center Square reported. In the letter, Rubio raised several concerns about the risks of a rapid EV transition, including widespread blackouts.
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“I am concerned that members of the public and investors in electric vehicle (EV) companies are not being informed of the risks associated with increased production of EVs, including potentially disastrous implications of widespread EV adoption for the country’s transportation infrastructure and energy grid,” Rubio wrote.
If electric utilities were overburdened during or after the transition, they would initiate rolling blackouts, which are temporary power outages used to manage the power grid.
Rubio stressed that the risks regarding national infrastructure could threaten the investors of EV companies.
“I write to request that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) evaluate these risks, and enhance the disclosure requirements of registrants that produce EVs, to allow investors to be better informed about the risks of investing in such companies,” he said.
The EPA proposed new rules that would lead to fully electric vehicles taking up to two-thirds of the market by 2032. Electric vehicles currently make up less than 5% of the market.
Rubio cited a J.D. Power study, stating that “failed charging attempts rose from 15% in 2021 to more than 21% in 2022.”
“Imagine if gas stations failed to perform their most basic function one out of five times,” he said.
Rubio further argued the increased weight of EVs would “put additional strain on America’s transportation infrastructure” and that a rapid transition would make the U.S. overly reliant on China, which possesses the natural resources for EV manufacturing.
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“The EV industry is heavily dependent on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for components and scarce raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite,” he added. “This dependency poses a serious risk to EV companies, which could be cut off at the whim of the Chinese Communist Party.”
Rubio’s concerns came after the Biden administration’s proposed rules previously received criticism from 151 House Republicans, who wrote a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan last month.