Senator Debunks List of EV Myths — Highlights Environmental, National Security, and Human Rights Dangers of EVs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) delivered a speech on the Senate floor today debunking the Electric Vehicle (EV) myths pushed by the Biden administration and climate activists ahead of an expected Environmental Protection Agency announcement tomorrow on tailpipe emissions.

During her remarks, Senator Fischer outlined the numerous concerns about EVs: “They’re underdeveloped and pose safety risks. And they create more problems than they solve, both at home and abroad.”

Among many topics, Senator Fischer discussed the carbon emissions of EV production, the dangers EVs pose to first responders and drivers, and the ways the EV industry benefits the Chinese Communist Party.

 

Click the image above to watch video of Sen. Fischer’s remarks

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On the Negative Environmental Impacts of EVs:

“When the administration makes these inflated claims about EVs, they’re only looking at what comes out of the exhaust pipe. But there’s much more to the life of an EV. We’ll start at the beginning.

“The production of EV batteries requires a massive amount of electricity, usually produced by generators that burn fossil fuels. The manufacturing of EVs produces at least 60 percent more carbon emissions than that of gas-powered cars.
…
“One study compared an electric car to a hybrid car and found that the electric one emitted about a quarter more particulate matter because of tire wear. Driving the electric car heightened overall emissions compared to the hybrid.”

On EV Glitches: 

“We all heard about EVs malfunctioning this winter. Freezing temperatures — and hot temperatures — drain batteries and reduce driving range, leaving stranded drivers helpless.

“Even in normal weather, EVs have been plagued with glitches. Ford recalled some F-150 Lightning trucks with defects. General Motors told dealers to stop selling the Blazer SUV because of design flaws. A Consumer Reports survey found that new EVs have 79 percent more problems than internal-combustion cars.
…
“EV charging stations malfunction just as badly as the vehicles. Last year, researchers visited every public fast charger in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“They found that almost 23 percent of them had ‘unresponsive or unavailable screens, payment system failures, charge initiation failures, network failures, or broken connectors.’”

On the Damaging Effects of EV Crashes:

“EV batteries can weigh thousands of pounds. They make electric vehicles 30% heavier on average than gas-powered cars. That extra weight makes a lot of difference when one crashes into you going 60 miles an hour.

“The University of Nebraska actually tested how EVs performed in a crash against safety guardrails and roadside barriers earlier this year. What they found was disturbing. Because they’re so heavy, EVs crash with up to 50% more impact, smashing through and destroying roadside barriers. Our current safety infrastructure can’t stop an EV, and that’s a major problem — especially for other drivers.

“Center for Auto Safety Executive Director Michael Brooks says ‘we are likely to see many additional deaths and injuries attributable solely to the added weight of EV batteries.’

“These deaths and injuries also disproportionately affect women and children.”

On Safety Risks of EVs to First Responders:

“Their batteries contain so much energy that any contact with fire can cause them to explode. High-voltage lithium-ion batteries also pose a risk of electric shock to first responders. Firefighters have been caught off guard by EVs erupting in fire.

“If cells in an EV battery are damaged, they can experience an uncontrolled increase in temperature and pressure. That volatility can reignite a fire in the battery even after it’s been put out. One fire chief described an EV fire as a “’trick candle’. You never know when it will reflame.”

On the Chinese Communist Party’s Domination of the EV Industry:

“China is the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles. A senior research scientist at MIT admitted that when it comes to EVs “we still are going to be dependent on China for many, many years. The EV industry is effectively run by the Chinese Communist Party.
…
“During her speech, Senator Fischer discussed how President Biden’s withdraw from Afghanistan has allowed Chinese mining companies to flood the country and develop a symbiotic relationship with the Taliban.
…
“Afghanistan is home to large lithium reserves — one of the minerals essential to EV batteries. With the U.S. out of the picture, Chinese mining companies have flooded Afghanistan. These companies have developed a symbiotic relationship with anti-American Taliban leadership, and that relationship continues to grow.

On the Human Rights Concerns of the EV Industry:

“The EV supply chain fuels our adversaries. At the same time, it fuels human rights violations across the world. These so-called “clean” cars use dirty manufacturing methods.

“The Biden administration is sending millions of dollars to the Congo to support cobalt mining for EV batteries. A few years ago, human rights groups investigated Congo’s mining sector. They found it full of young children working in hand-dug tunnels that often collapse, burying these kids alive. The massive demand for cobalt only encourages the industry to keep using inhumane and environmentally irresponsible mining methods.

“One Congolese mining expert said it best — he asked: ‘How can you base a green revolution on trashing Congolese environment and exploiting Congolese workers?’
…
“The Biden administration doesn’t acknowledge or address the dark side of their self-proclaimed green revolution. They keep it tucked away in Congo and Indonesia — hidden far away from their climate soapbox.”



Following is a transcript of Senator Fischer's remarks as prepared for delivery:

Tomorrow, the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency will release new tailpipe emissions standards, formulated to push electric vehicles on the American people.

The administration says that because of EVs, “the future of American transportation is on track to be cleaner, safer, more affordable, and more reliable than ever before.”

And Vice President Harris has said that our nation’s embrace of electric vehicles will determine “the health of our communities, the strength of our economy, and the sustainability of our planet.”

The way the administration and their activist friends paint EVs, you’d think these cars are a time-tested environmental blessing, with transportation, economic, and community benefits to boot. But behind the curtain of this climate crusade, there’s little supportive evidence and plenty of problems — problems the administration has tried to hide.

What’s the truth of the matter? The truth is that EVs are not a magic bullet for the environment. They’re underdeveloped and pose safety risks. And they create more problems than they solve, both at home and abroad.

So let’s talk science. Climate activists say electric vehicles are bringing on a green revolution, but the facts don’t support that claim.

The president said in a recent speech: “When I got elected president, we vowed to enact the most ambitious climate and environmental justice campaign in American history.”

That campaign, according to President Biden, includes “moving to all-electric vehicles in the future.”

And Vice President Harris has styled the push for EVs as “an approach that is about clean energy and being smart around a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”

When the administration makes these inflated claims about EVs, they’re only looking at what comes out of the exhaust pipe. But there’s much more to the life of an EV.

We’ll start at the beginning. The production of EV batteries requires a massive amount of electricity, usually produced by generators that burn fossil fuels. The manufacturing of EVs produces at least 60 percent more carbon emissions than that of gas-powered cars.

EVs start their lives with carbon debt. But even after they’re on the road, EVs have their problems. They weigh significantly more than gas-powered cars because of their heavy batteries. This extra weight wears down an EV’s tires as it drives. 

One study compared an electric car to a hybrid car and found that the electric one emitted about a quarter more particulate matter because of tire wear. Driving the electric car heightened overall emissions compared to the hybrid.

The climate activists pushing EVs aren’t just ignoring this science. They’re actually trying to hide it.

When the California Air Resources Board analyzed the effects of the state’s proposed ban on gas-powered cars over the next decade, it assumed both EVs and gas-powered cars have the same tire wear. The agency said it would be “speculative” to assume that electric cars will continue being heavier than gas cars.

If that sentence was confusing, it’s because it doesn’t make sense. Public policy should reflect reality, not the baseless future dream of featherweight electric cars. What’s speculative, obviously, is assuming that the weight of EVs will change over the next decade, with no evidence to support that claim.

Here’s another instance of sham science. Under an Energy Department rule, automakers were encouraged to greatly overestimate the fuel efficiency of electric vehicles. By fudging the numbers, carmakers claimed that their EVs had absurdly high fuel efficiencies, up to 430 miles per gallon. The government then granted subsidies to those automakers for supposedly meeting high efficiency standards. It was a fake-science racket designed to juice the EV industry.

How did they fudge the numbers? The Energy Department included what they called a “fuel content factor” in their fuel efficiency equations, which multiplied the efficiency rates for EVs by 6.67.

According to the rule, they chose that specific multiplier for “simplicity and ease of use.”

In part, the rule reads: “It is included to reward electric vehicles' benefits to the Nation relative to petroleum-fueled vehicles.”

People found out about the multiplier and how arbitrary it was, and they pushed back. In response, the Energy Department itself admitted that the multiplier “lacks legal support” and has “no basis.”

They finally buckled and eliminated that step. So why did it take so long?

Activism is getting in the way of truth when it comes to EVs. Suppressing facts won’t help us make the most environmentally sensible choices.

Administration activists aren’t just wrong about the environmental benefits of EVs. They’re also wrong about their performance.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg claimed that “We see the superiority of EVs in terms of performance, not just in terms of climate.”

And the Department of Transportation says EVs provide “lower operating costs, reduced maintenance needs, and improved performance.”

But the truth is that EVs are often undeveloped, inefficient, and unsafe. We all heard about EVs malfunctioning this winter. Freezing temperatures — and hot temperatures — drain batteries and reduce driving range, leaving stranded drivers helpless.

Even in normal weather, EVs have been plagued with glitches. Ford recalled some F-150 Lightning trucks with defects. General Motors told dealers to stop selling the Blazer SUV because of design flaws. A Consumer Reports survey found that new EVs have 79 percent more problems than internal-combustion cars. 

Why is the administration trying to speed up EV production when they’re clearly not ready for primetime?

EV charging stations malfunction just as badly as the vehicles. Last year, researchers visited every public fast charger in the San Francisco Bay Area.

They found that almost 23 percent of them had “unresponsive or unavailable screens, payment system failures, charge initiation failures, network failures, or broken connectors.”

Auto analytics company J.D. Power found that one in five charging sessions at public stations failed to deliver a charge at all.

This problem is more serious than a glitch. Performance issues create safety issues.

As I mentioned before, EV batteries can weigh thousands of pounds. They make electric vehicles 30% heavier on average than gas-powered cars. That extra weight makes a lot of difference when one crashes into you going 60 miles an hour.

The University of Nebraska actually tested how EVs performed in a crash against safety guardrails and roadside barriers earlier this year. What they found was disturbing. Because they’re so heavy, EVs crash with up to 50% more impact, smashing through and destroying roadside barriers. Our current safety infrastructure can’t stop an EV, and that’s a major problem — especially for other drivers.

Center for Auto Safety Executive Director Michael Brooks says “we are likely to see many additional deaths and injuries attributable solely to the added weight of EV batteries.”

These deaths and injuries also disproportionately affect women and children.

A report released last month by the Government Accountability Office found that crash tests across the country don’t use physiologically accurate female dummies. Some only use male dummies — they don’t even attempt to test car safety on the female body. 

This is part of why crashes injure and kill women at higher rates than men. Women are 80 percent more likely to sustain lower leg injuries, and the current dummies don’t even provide data on that type of injury.

Before mandating a rush of electric vehicles on the roads, the Biden administration needs to find a solution to the risks these cars can pose, especially to women.

So what happens if you’re driving your new EV, crash, and it catches on fire? Would you call the fire department or highway patrol? If so, you may be out of luck. EVs pose special risks to first responders as well.

Their batteries contain so much energy that any contact with fire can cause them to explode. High-voltage lithium-ion batteries also pose a risk of electric shock to first responders. Firefighters have been caught off guard by EVs erupting in fire. If cells in an EV battery are damaged, they can experience an uncontrolled increase in temperature and pressure. That volatility can reignite a fire in the battery even after it’s been put out.

One fire chief described an EV fire as a “trick candle”. You never know when it will reflame.

We’ve debunked the claim that EVs are better for our environment. We’ve debunked the claim that they’re technologically superior. But what about the claim that electrifying our vehicle fleet will boost America’s energy independence?

President Biden said this year that “investing aggressively in electric vehicles and battery production now is important for strengthening our long-term economic security.”

The reason he gave is that 75 percent of EV battery manufacturing is done in China. In his words, “for some battery components, critical materials, China controls nearly half the global production.”

President Biden’s logic is severely flawed. If we invest aggressively in electric vehicles now, like he wants to, we’ll just boost China’s dominance in sourcing and manufacturing.

China is the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles. A senior research scientist at MIT admitted that when it comes to EVs “we still are going to be dependent on China for many, many years.”

The EV industry is effectively run by the Chinese Communist Party.

The Biden administration’s not only encouraging Americans to support an industry monopolized by the CCP — they’re supporting it themselves through federal rules. 

In December, the Treasury Department released guidance to make it easier for Foreign Entities of Concern to use the clean vehicle tax credit when they route our EV supply chains through China.

One Washington Post article released last year tracked China’s EV operations to an interesting location: Afghanistan. Shortly after his inauguration, President Biden ordered our troops out of Afghanistan, paving the way for a Taliban takeover of the nation’s government.

That got China’s attention. Afghanistan is home to large lithium reserves — one of the minerals essential to EV batteries. With the U.S. out of the picture, Chinese mining companies have flooded Afghanistan. These companies have developed a symbiotic relationship with anti-American Taliban leadership, and that relationship continues to grow.

The EV supply chain fuels our adversaries. At the same time, it fuels human rights violations across the world. These so-called “clean” cars use dirty manufacturing methods.

The Biden administration is sending millions of dollars to the Congo to support cobalt mining for EV batteries. A few years ago, human rights groups investigated Congo’s mining sector. They found it full of young children working in hand-dug tunnels that often collapse, burying these kids alive. The massive demand for cobalt only encourages the industry to keep using inhumane and environmentally irresponsible mining methods.

One Congolese mining expert said it best — he asked: “How can you base a green revolution on trashing Congolese environment and exploiting Congolese workers?”

This phenomenon stretches across Africa into Asia. In Indonesia, miners use an intense acid-leaching process that sickens the local environment.

One man told reporters that the rivers he used to drink from have turned dark red since the nickel mine added its acid-leaching refinery. Pollution in those rivers has killed rows of coconut trees and schools of fish. Not only are locals deprived of clean water, but the many local fishermen have to travel farther to support their livelihoods.

The Biden administration doesn’t acknowledge or address the dark side of their self-proclaimed green revolution. They keep it tucked away in Congo and Indonesia — hidden far away from their climate soapbox.

But it’s time for the administration to stop hiding the truth.

They’ve spearheaded a reckless push toward a future run by electric vehicles.

If they have integrity, they’ll stop burying evidence and come clean about the EV record on environment, safety, and human rights. And if they have good judgment, they’ll tap the brakes on this climate charade.

EVs are riddled with problems, as any developing technology is. The problem is not so much EVs as it is the administration’s blind insistence on EV mandates that harm Americans and the environment.

The White House is forcing EVs on our country in a hasty, overzealous political play. They’re spurning the science, the facts, and the reality: Americans don’t want the EV revolution, and for good reason.

Thank you, M. President, I yield the floor.