The announcement of new limits on auto emissions has riled conservative commentators who are infuriated by what they consider government interference in markets (“Speeding the switch to electric vehicles: Under rule, most new cars by 2032 zero-emission,” Page A1, March 21). Their objection stems from the hidebound belief that market forces will always produce the optimal result for the consumer and maximize business profits at the same time.
They are braying about “Biden’s EV mandate,” as the headline of a Wall Street Journal editorial read, and they say that consumers’ only choice will be electric sometime in the 2030s.
I expect that by 2032, most consumers will demand electric vehicles. Once the charging networks are fully installed and the cost of batteries drops significantly, EVs will be the clear winners. The new emissions caps, along with Biden’s other climate policies, give the market a good shove in that direction.
A lot of the hand-wringing about EVs stems from a failure to envision the transition. Over the next decade, industries and consumers will gradually adapt, solving technology problems along the way. Internal combustion enthusiasts can rest assured that there will still be a market for gas-powered cars. But they will be relics, far inferior to the EVs of tomorrow.
Frederick Hewett
Cambridge