WashPo: Electric vehicles emerge as flashpoint in 2024 election

Another day, another story confirming that the political divide on EVs is real and a part of the 2024 election cycle.

The Washington Post story highlights that this issue is a campaign staple for races up and down the ballot. Fuel industry groups, in particular, are messaging directly to voters with misleading statements around an EV mandate (which doesn’t exist).

A clear take away from this reporting is the importance of pushing back against EV bashing. Our founder, Mike Murphy, is featured in the piece with his thoughts:

Republican strategist Mike Murphy, who is leading an effort to encourage more EV adoption among conservatives, says the gap between Democrats and Republicans on EVs is staggering. More than 61 percent of Democrats said they believed their friends would think it was a “smart move” if they bought an EV, compared to just 19 percent of Republicans who said the same in polling commissioned by Murphy.

“They marketed EVs as environmental, I’m-a-good-person-mobiles,” Murphy said, which alienated Republicans who tend to be more skeptical of climate change.

Murphy believes there’s an opportunity to change that trend in part by emphasizing the massive investment in swing states that are producing jobs. Michigan, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona have all announced tens of millions of dollars in EV investments, including $31.5 million in Georgia.

Blue state consumers are responsible for a disproportionate share of EV purchases, but these cars are increasingly being made in swing states.

“If the GOP wants to declare war on the largest source of new manufacturing jobs in the most important electoral states, they do so at their peril,” Murphy said.

Murphy’s fear is that a narrative solidifies after 2024 that running against EVs helped win the election, which he believes could roll back progress on the issue. “I don’t want Washington to decide the EV bashing worked.”