President Biden’s recent tweet about the new GMC Hummer electric vehicle (EV) and his plan to “fully electrify” the American road trip has caused quite a stir among the public. In his tweet, Biden claimed that you can get up to $7,500 on a new electric vehicle through a tax credit, but the Hummer EV he was pictured in costs over $110,000 and doesn’t qualify for the tax credit.
On my watch, the great American road trip is going to be fully electrified.
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 30, 2023
And now, through a tax credit, you can get up to $7,500 on a new electric vehicle. pic.twitter.com/n3iZ9etL4A
The tax credit from the Internal Revenue Service states that the vehicle must be bought new, with a manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) not exceeding $80,000 for vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks and not exceeding $55,000 for other electric vehicles.
Critics have pointed out the impracticality and inefficiency of the Hummer EV, which was not well-received by Car and Driver and CNET due to the quality of the interior materials and its limited range.
The average new car sold in the U.S. is priced at $49,507, while the average fully electric car sold for $61,448, a 24% increase. While some EVs are more affordable, they also have shorter ranges, lack plush interiors, and may not even qualify for the tax credit.
Additionally, the limited charging infrastructure in the country makes it challenging for Americans to go on a long road trip in an electric vehicle. The President’s message of “just buy a $100,000 car” is not a good one, especially when Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and gas prices have gone up for five straight weeks.
It’s clear that the President’s efforts to promote EVs are not well-received by Republican voters. Tweeting pictures of $100,000 cars that don’t even qualify for the tax credit and have negative reviews from reputable sources does not help.
Instead, the President should focus on promoting affordable, practical, and environmentally-friendly EVs for the average American. The car industry has some room for improvement to make EVs widely adopted, and the President should work with car companies such as Ford and Tesla to lower the prices and improve the features of electric vehicles.