As his rivals gathered onstage for their second Republican primary debate, former President Donald Trump blasted the Biden administration’s electric vehicles mandate that will affect the United Auto Workers and truckers.
“Forcing the truckers to go all electric. Now, the truckers probably don’t have the power — they only go about 300 miles. Whereas, a diesel-fueled truck goes 2,000 miles. That’s a big difference wouldn’t you say?” Trump said at a rally of autoworkers in Clinton Township, Michigan.
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He added, “Also, the battery takes up so much room that there is no room left for what you happen to be shipping. The whole thing is crazy.”
The trucking industry has been experiencing an unprecedented driver shortage. The combination of drivers being aggravated by pandemic restrictions and increased climate change regulation costs impacting their bottom line has led to the aging truck driver population choosing retirement and causing a shortage of truck drivers.
The cost of a new, clean-diesel long-haul tractor can cost up to $200,000 while a battery-electric tractor can cost up to $480,000. This doubling of costs for truckers, who generally operate as small business owners, makes it difficult for them to stay in business.
Electric trucks can take up to 10 hours to charge and travel only about 150 to 330 miles, impacting a trucker’s ability to travel farther distances and to take more loads of goods that would otherwise make their traveling profitable.
The electric infrastructure has been a challenge for trucking companies attempting to go electric.
Andrew Boyle, the American Trucking Associations first vice chairman and co-president of Boyle Transportation, told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that trucking companies that are attempting to go electric are being shut down due to the lack of electricity.
“My friends and peers in the industry nationwide who have tried to make efforts to convert a dozen forklifts to electric or I want to tee up a facility for 30 electric trucks, and there’s no power. The utilities and cities come back and say: ‘Is this some kind of joke?'” Boyle said in April.
Boyle explained how a trucking company attempted to create a facility for 30 trucks in Joliet, Illinois and the city rejected it outright saying, “You’re asking for more [electric] draw than the entire city requires.”
The former president took aim at President Joe Biden’s EV mandate and warned that the Biden administration’s climate change agenda will ultimately put the union workers out of their jobs.
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“To the striking workers, I support you and your goal of fair wages and greater stability, and I truly hope you get a fair deal for yourselves and your families,” Trump said. “But if your union leaders will not demand that crooked Joe repeal his electric vehicle mandate immediately, then it doesn’t matter what hourly wage you get. It just doesn’t make a damn bit of difference because in two to three years, you will not have one job in this state.”
The Republican front-runner’s visit to Michigan comes a day after President Joe Biden visited the picket line in Detroit.
