A group associated with Koch Industries is reportedly planning to launch an anti-EV campaign to promote petroleum-based transportation fuels.
The organization is said to be led by Koch board member James Mahoney and lobbyist Charlie Drevna, former head of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, according to HuffPost.
Approximately $10 million is expected to be spent on the campaign each year. Its goals are said to include attacks on government subsidy programs for electric vehicles, including the $7,500 federal tax credit.
The incentives were implemented as a way to help offset the relatively higher cost of battery-powered vehicles. Battery prices per kilowatt-hour are expected to maintain a steadily decline, however, eventually making EVs competitive with gasoline-powered vehicles without dipping into taxpayer funds.
The lobbying group is expected to launch its campaign sometime this year, likely receiving funding from Koch Industries, a Koch foundation or a different entity associated with the company or its controlling brothers, Charles and David Koch.
“They’re worried about state and community subsidies,” the unnamed source told HuffPost. “In 20 years, electric vehicles could have a substantial foothold in the U.S. market.”
EVs currently account for a small fraction of US automotive distribution. Upcoming models, including the Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model 3, are attempting to usher in an era of wider adoption in the next few years.
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