A group of almost 5,000 car dealerships recently sent a second letter to President Joe Biden, asking him to reconsider a proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA's plan, expected to be finalized this year, has raised concerns among dealerships. This comes after around 4,000 dealerships sent a letter in November expressing their worries about the proposed regulations, which they believe would force an impractical shift to electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S. So far, there has been no response from Biden or his administration regarding the first letter.
Mickey Anderson, the CEO of Baxter Auto Group, which operates 20 dealerships in Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado selling brands like Ford, Honda, Toyota, and Volkswagen, has been leading both efforts. Anderson argues that battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are not practical for many U.S. customers. He points to reports of cold weather negatively impacting EV battery performance and causing frustration for owners.
Anderson shared his perspective, stating, "The tragedy here is that if the manufacturers were truly free to build the cars that customers today are preferring, we would be selling far more plug-in EVs and hybrids." He believes that allowing more flexibility in car manufacturing would not reduce the current demand for EVs but could lead to increased investments in other alternative technologies.