If you are one of the most polluted states in America, Utah, nobody should need to light a fire underneath you to get you make some definite improvements.
No, that fire should be lit the moment you get the news.
And, if about 50 percent of your pollution comes from car emissions, where do you think you ought to start?
And, if the best solution to solving car emissions is to replace gasoline cars with electric cars, what should you be doing?
The question is, how do you go about it? The citizens would probably rush to electric vehicles if they were more affordable. And, though the cars could probably be made a lot cheaper if only the car companies decided to charge less, they remain out-of-budget for the average American.
And, the average Utahn.The average sticker price for a new EV is $61,488 -- and most Utahns cannot afford that.
So, what do you do? Roll out minimum sales thresholds for the electric vehicles? Do a California, and tell the automakers that 35 percent of their new 2026 models must be zero-emissions -- and by 2035, every new car sold must be zero-emissions. That's what California is doing, and Utah should follow suit.
The automakers would then be forced to lower their prices on electrics if they wanted to sell enough to meet the thresholds. Utahns -- well, most of them -- will buy EVs if they can afford them.
But, go a step beyond what California is doing. Encourage the start up of new EV manufacturers right here in Utah. Don't give them direct subsidies, but help them find land and give them reduced prices on land on which to locate. Maybe give them tax breaks, with the understanding there will be a sunset on those.
But, require them to produce a less expensive model than what is on the road now -- putting a high limit of, say, $13,000 for all their models. That can be done. Chevy once sold a Spark EV for about that little. Interestingly, Chevy has pulled the Spark EV off the market.
(Index -- Climate change info)
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