Electric vehicles appeal to conservative buyers sick of gas guzzlers

[Zorro]

A few red counties in Texas are experiencing higher-than-average EV growth, as drivers tire of gas prices and chase the latest tech

Tony Federico bought his Tesla Model 3 in 2018. A former Marine who votes Republican, Federico said he was drawn by the cool technology and the chance to save money on gas.

“I think selfishly it was, you know, how is this going to help my pocketbook,” he said from his living room one recent morning. Environmental concerns were “not really” on his radar, said the head of the local Tesla owners club.

Electric vehicles are often associated with liberal coastal types who speak of saving the planet. But in this Republican stronghold north of Dallas, more and more people are deciding that driving an EV is just common sense.

In Collin County, home to Plano, EV market share is well above the national average and growing fast, reaching 8.7 percent of new-vehicle registrations last year, according to S&P Global Mobility. In neighboring Denton County, also reliably red, EVs grew to 7.3 percent of the market. Nationwide, electric cars were about 6.2 percent of new-vehicle registrations last year.

https://wapo.st/3WSuV3x

[roamer65]

1. This ought to crater the ERCOT grid.

I highly doubt it can handle many more EVs.

[Liberal In Texas]

7. Nonsense.

EVs put about as much stress on the grid as a hair dryer does.

When I started charging my car at home after I bought it, we noticed no increase in the electric bill.

[roamer65]

10. Good luck.

[gratuitous]

2. "I think selfishly"

Okay, we got one of them to admit it. Maybe if we can tailor our message and proposals to appeal to their selfish nature, and shave off some of their voters who so stubbornly cling to their positions against their own interests.

[Igel]

12. Crank the subsidies.

That'll do it.

Increase the shame. That'll help.

But what's cool in 2018 might not be cool in 2023.

So crank the subsidies.

[yellowdogintexas]

3. I was in Phoenix recently and I could not believe how many

Teslas I saw. They seem to be very popular out there.

There are probably comparable numbers of EVs in other brands, but other than Prius, they are not as easy to identify as Tesla.

[Beachnutt]

4. Rrrrr

Under a new law, signed last week by Gov. Greg Abbott, Texans who own or purchase electric vehicles will pay up to $400 to register their “clean vehicles” and $200 every time they renew their registrations. The measure is expected to bring in about $38 million in new revenue.
May 22, 2023
https://dentonrc.com/news/state/electric-vehicles-in-texas-face-new-tax-as-gov-abbott-signs-law/article_61c73ec1-7e4e-5bce-a797-4017f5dee366.html

[Initech]

6. Greg Abbott is such a worthless fucking asshole.

But he'll probably get reelected because, religion or something.

[NowISeetheLight]

11. I Saw This

I read this the other day. Another article from Consumer Reports Advocacy said that looking at average miles driven by the average car in the state they paid around $71 in gas taxes. Thus $400 + $200 is more a PENALTY to penalize eco-friendly people.

Auto-Fascism? YES!

https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/consumer-reports-texas-proposed-electric-vehicle-fees-add-up-to-a-punishing-tax/

[Igel]

13. Didn't follow the details.

But it makes better sense now.

$400/reg seemed wrong, but that's what the media as reported in DU said. Haven't otherwise followed this, since, ya know, even with the federal subsidies I seriously can't afford an EV or installing an EV charger, esp. in a house I'm gradually saying goodbye to because it's way too big and I need to move ... But since my non-resilient son has only ever known this house as home and a fairly recent divorce left him a bit traumatized, I'm reluctant to chuck it and most of his "I don't want to throw it away" crap.

$400/first-time-under-new-law reg, given that most EVs have been around for awhile, seems okay. 2+ reg being lower is reasonable.

That the first-time higher reg is on-going and won't stop next year is a problem, but compromise and nuance aren't BFFs and the TX legislature meets every two years (and with elections nearly as frequent, you can see the time-horizon problem, I'm sure).

[Initech]

5. I'm very interested in the Kia EV6 as my next car.

Hopefully by the time I'm ready to buy again, there will be a lot more EVs to choose from. But I'm definitely ready to ditch gas!

[tanyev]

8. I'm in Collin County and I always see quite a few when I'm out and about.

I figured some of them had to be driven by Republicans because A) the demographics of this county and B) many of them speed and weave in and out of traffic like entitled jerks.

[Liberal In Texas]

9. Just because a Texas county is red doesn't mean that all the people in the county are

repubs, or that even 80% are. It's probably more like 50/50. The repubs keep getting elected because of voter suppression and voter apathy.

And propaganda.