59% of Americans oppose Biden's electric vehicle mandates: poll

A new poll released on Wednesday revealed that 59 percent of Americans oppose the Biden administration's plan to phase out the production of new gasoline cars by 2035. 

A Pew Research Poll taken between May 30 and June 4 showed opposition to the policy is up from 51 percent in April 2021. One of the main sources noted for the opposition is 53 percent of those surveyed don't believe the US will be able to build the necessary infrastructure to support the plan. 

A Gallup poll in April showed 41 percent of Americans "would not buy" an electronic vehicle, and 43 percent say they might consider it in the future. 

Several states around the country are pushing for heavy regulations to push the adoption of electric vehicles. New York and California have taken the lead in issuing a mandate for all new vehicles sold in the state to be zero emissions by 2035. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the strictest tailpipe emissions restrictions it has ever proposed that will affect all cars built from 2027 on. The plan would see 67 percent of new cars and trucks be electric by 2032, according to Fox News.

"Cars and truck manufacturers have made clear that the future of transportation is electric. The market is moving," The White House said at the time. "As a car enthusiast and self-proclaimed car guy, President Biden is seizing the moment."

The director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute's Center for Energy and Environment, Myron Ebell responded at the time, "The Biden administration is trying to bend every federal rule they can find to force people into buying EVs." He continued, "There is still a market that allows drivers to buy the vehicles of their choice, but government coercion is rapidly limiting those choices." 

According to the report, 93 percent of all new car sales in 2022 were gas-powered, while the average cost for an electronic vehicle was $38,237 higher than gas-powered. 

The Pew Research Poll also asked about the administration's energy policies as a whole. It showed that 68 percent support "a mix of fossil fuels and renewable" energy sources, with 51 percent of Democrats opposing a complete phase-out of fossil fuels.

The poll went on to discuss how Americans see the administration's climate change agenda, where only 45 percent of Americans believe they are going in the right direction. However, 59 percent of Democrats want the president to do more when it comes to climate. 82 percent of Republicans believe his policies are taking the country in the wrong direction. 

The poll was conducted between May 30 and June 4 of 10,329 US adults, and has a margin of error of 1.5 percent.