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Kamala Harris dodges EV mandate as campaign remains vague on green energy plans

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is pushing to ban gasoline-powered cars starting in 2035. He’s doing it because the Biden-Harris administration has been pursuing the same agenda for years. Kamala Harris ran for president on this platform.

Now she says she is against the ban. While we can’t trust her on this, if that’s true, why is New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy still pushing a failed agenda that his endorsed candidate doesn’t support? In fact, Murphy will be raising money for Harris today in New Jersey alongside her husband Doug Emhoff, who is accused of physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend, but that’s another story.

As Vice President Kamala Harris takes the helm of President Biden’s 2024 campaign, her stance on environmental policy, particularly electric vehicles, is under scrutiny. During her presidential run in 2020, Harris advocated for bold moves on green energy, calling for a mandate requiring automakers to sell only electric or hydrogen vehicles by 2035. But now? Things look a little blurry.

Harris’ campaign has been particularly cautious about its current stance on requiring automakers to switch to all-electric vehicles. Even after weeks of questions, her team refused to clarify whether she still supports a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate — an issue common to key Midwestern swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where auto workers are heavily committed, the future of the industry is incredibly delicate. At a time when Biden’s administration is pushing electric vehicle adoption with incentives and regulations, Harris’ silence is loud.

The 2020 version of Kamala vs. Now

Harris was already a co-sponsor of the 2019 Senator from California Zero Emission Vehicles Actwith the aim of doing 100% of new car sales in the US Be greenhouse gas-free by 2040. At the time, she wanted to take it a step further and proposed it during her 2020 presidential run 50% of new cars Cars sold by 2030 should be emission-free 100% by 2035. That would mean: goodbye gasoline-powered cars, hello electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles.

Fast forward to now, and the message isn’t as clear. While their campaign vaguely mentioned in a recent email that they “do not support a ban on electric vehicles,” they have bypassed follow-up requests seeking further clarification. Her office has not provided any answers as to whether she would oppose or sign the very bill she once co-sponsored in 2019.

Move from left to center?

In other areas, Harris has publicly moved away from her once progressive stances. Whether it is turned on Healthcare, immigrationor Frackingshe has adopted a more centrist tone, perhaps to appeal to a broader voter base in 2024. She admitted this during a recent CNN interview Fracking stance had evolved to say she no longer supports an outright ban after seeing how clean energy and fracking can coexist. Still, she emphasizes, “their climate-focused values ​​have not changed.”

Yet the Trump campaign is working overtime to portray her as “dangerously liberal,” digging up footage and positions from her 2020 campaign to claim that she is secretly eyeing measures like bans on gasoline-powered cars. Pro-business groups are also carrying on. The American fuel and petrochemical manufacturers recently launched a $3 million advertising push in swing states, criticizing Harris for her past EV stances, although her campaign is trying to distance itself from those positions.

The EV mandate drama

The EV regulation controversy is important because it impacts the Rust Belt Auto workers And Manufacturer are of central importance for the economy. Trump’s base – and many swing voters – are not exactly calling for policies that phase out gasoline-powered vehicles. That’s why Harris’ current non-answers are risky business.

Biden’s administration is already working to transition the country to cleaner energy with a mix of more and more Electric vehicle incentives And stricter emissions regulationsbut without enforcing a mandate. However, Harris’ previous support for a much faster and more aggressive transition is emerging.

As Harris positions herself for the long-term view to 2024, she is clearly trying to strike a delicate balance – aligning with Biden’s climate goals without alienating key constituencies who are not yet convinced by the green revolution. The question is: How long can she avoid choosing a lane?