MLG’s 82% EV mandate comes as less than 1% of New Mexicans own EVs
Far-left Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is continuing her crusade against gas-powered cars in the name of “climate change,” with a recent announcement she wants to mandate 82 percent of all cars being sold in the state be electric vehicles by 2032, with a 43 percent threshold by 2027.
However, in New Mexico, a rural state that requires traveling long distances many times for citizens to go to work and purchase necessary goods, only 0.8 percent of residents own an EV as of May 31, 2023, according to the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department.
Larry Behrens of the pro-energy group Power The Future said, “This is a move that isn’t going to help rural New Mexicans and going to raise prices on all New Mexicans.”
“The average price for a brand-new EV is about [$61,488]. That’s considerably higher than the average four-door sedan, which runs about [$48,681], according to Kelley Blue Book. Tax credits and gas savings can save you money. However, it’s going to take a few years to make up a potential $20,000 difference,” Bloomberg reported.
EVs are also more expensive to maintain, repair, and insure. Lauren Fix of Car Coach Reports said to GOBankingRates, “Gas-powered vehicles cost less to repair if in a collision.”
“The average cost of an electric car is 23% or more expensive because the car itself and its parts cost more to repair and replace,” she continued. “Totaling all factors in, an EV will set you back $71,770. A gas-powered car? $58,664. You will never make up the initial expense difference over the lifetime of your more expensive electric vehicle. Put another way, a gas-powered car will cost you $600 more a year to drive. But over an average of six years of owning an EV versus a gas car, the EV will set you back $13,000 more.”
The average range for an EV is also 250-500 miles — a deal-breaker for many New Mexicans who travel long distances. The longest-range EV is the 2023 Lucid Air, which has the capability of up to 516 miles, but it comes with a price tag of $139,650 for the base model, according to Car and Driver.
“Studies have shown that most of the people who buy electric vehicles have an annual income of over $150,000 a year,” Behrens said to KOAT 7.
The outlet’s report noted, “While electric vehicles make up less than 1% of cars, the data did show that about 4% of cars in New Mexico are hybrids.”
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