Donald Trump: Liberator?
By Dr. Harold A. Black
blackh@knoxfocus.com
haroldblackphd.com
Although Donald Trump proclaimed April 2 as “Liberation Day,” perhaps he should change the date to June 12. That was when he signed the law striking down California’s emissions standards. Recall that California would have phased out the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 and that 11 other states and Washington, D.C., had foolishly committed to do the same. If Trump had any sense of the dramatic, he should have waited until June 19th (Juneteenth).
Why Juneteenth – black liberation day? That’s because EVs are racist. The cost is out of reach for most black and brown households. They are expensive. A base Hyundai Kona costs $22,595, while a Hyundai Kona Electric costs $35,295. A base Ford F-150 is $40,960, while a base Ford F-150 Lightning is $51,975. However, I defy you to find a base Lightning. I was at my local Ford dealer getting my F-250 diesel serviced, and every Lightning I saw was over $70,000. One was over $90,000! Even with the EV credits, now expired, the EVs cost more. If the greenies were interested in equity, they would lobby for cheaper EVs from China. But Joe Biden kept Trump’s 100% tariff on Chinese EVs. Some equity. Let them eat cake!
The mean family income of black households is $53,000, well below the $75,000 of white households. Yet even among whites, the average cost of an EV is prohibitive. Before tariffs, the cheapest electric car was a Nissan Leaf at $29,280. I guess we could buy one, put mag wheels on it, lower the suspension, give it a spiffy paint job, put a spoiler on the back, and hang foam dice from the rear-view mirror? Never mind.
Here is what one EV advocate says: “Among Black and Latino consumers, incomes and credit scores are lower overall, which can make new EVs financially out of reach for families that might otherwise consider buying them. But equitable EV adoption can only be achieved through the creation of incentive programs that are effective and accessible for all consumers.” In total, blacks buy only 2% of all EVs. An additional incentive rebate for black and brown buyers? Sort of an EV reparations program?
Then there is the charging problem. Most EV owners are white, college-educated homeowners with home charging stations. Only 44% of blacks own their homes. Those people living in apartments would have to have chargers in their apartment complex or have to charge at charging stations – if they can find one that works. Not surprisingly, charging stations are located where white, college-educated people frequent – and that is not in the hood. Charging deserts exist in poor neighborhoods and not at toney malls. Of course, if there is a Pilot/Flying J handy, you can always go charge at an interstate exit and enjoy a meal at the Denny’s while you wait the hour or so it takes to “fill it up.”
But is buying an EV a rational decision or an emotional one? The comparable price studies show that after three years of ownership, EVs may actually be more costly than gas vehicles. They are more expensive to repair and have higher insurance costs. Some in the ‘let-them-eat-cake’ groups said that poorer people could buy used EVs (watch out for replacement battery costs) or ride public transit.
Trump has rescued black and brown people from the inequities of the EV. Some will argue that Trump’s actions will continue to cause black and brown people to have higher incidences of respiratory diseases such as asthma – environmental racism. The argument is that those diseases would be lessened by the removal of internal combustion engines. This “environmental justice” crowd says that EVs are a vehicle for racial equity, even though black folk are forced to buy EVs because they have no choice or ride public transportation. Hey, you may be walking, but at least the air will be cleaner – we think.
Most of us recognize this as sheer sophistry. Rather than being racist, Trump’s actions are actually liberating. Black and brown people are liberated from the yoke of EV tyranny and being condemned to EV purgatory. That is why June 12 is the real “Liberation Day” and Donald Trump is the liberator.
