Gas prices on this US Election Day are the highest recorded for an election day, according to the source. GasBuddy puts the national average at $4.12 per gallon for gasoline and $6.28 for diesel. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, maintained by the Department of Energy for energy emergencies, holds 282.2 million barrels of crude, its lowest level in 44 years.
The figures arrive as voters weigh the cost of living in the midterm elections. The source links the pressure at the pump to a broader political fight over electric vehicles, arguing that Donald Trump and congressional Republicans made opposition to EV policies a central part of their agenda.
Over the past two years, the article says, Republicans moved to reduce EV incentives, freeze funding for charging infrastructure and roll back fuel-economy standards. The federal clean-vehicle tax credit of up to $7,500, which buyers could apply at the point of sale, is no longer available. The article argues that removing these measures limited options for drivers seeking to reduce their fuel costs.
The piece also describes a renewed interest in hybrid and electric vehicles as gasoline prices rose following the war with Iran. Some drivers who had previously been skeptical of battery-powered cars began looking for alternatives, but vehicle prices remained a barrier. The average EV transaction price was still above $50,000, according to the article, and the former tax credit was no longer available to offset the cost.
The source contends that opposition to EVs and fuel-efficiency rules has left households more exposed to spikes in oil prices. It notes that electricity is produced domestically and argues that its price is less directly affected by conflict in the Middle East. It also cautions that a Democratic win in Congress would not necessarily restore the previous federal EV credits, while automakers are backing efforts to roll back strict fuel-economy rules.
Electric cars remain on the market, and General Motors and Ford have plans to make them more affordable, the article says. It adds that the companies’ plans depend in part on the government continuing to block lower-priced Chinese models from entering the US market. The article frames high fuel costs as a consequence of a political choice that reduced support for alternatives to gasoline-powered cars. Maatschappelijk? No. Remove.
Sources: The Verge.