What the Biden Administration Might Mean for the Car World

[Elderberry]

Car and Driver By Annie White Jan 24, 2021

President Biden and his cabinet appointees are focused on infrastructure spending and reducing emissions.

•   New President Joe Biden has ambitious plans for transportation and energy policy that could change the way Americans move through the world.

•   Biden has selected former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to carry out his energy policy and former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg to lead the Transportation department.

•   Biden's plans center on significant infrastructure spending and a move towards sustainability and renewable energy.

Less than 24 hours into the newly-minted Biden administration, Pete Buttigieg, the President's pick for Secretary of Transportation and the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, sat for a two-hour confirmation hearing with the Senate's committee on commerce, science, and transportation.

During the hearing, Buttigieg told Florida senator Rick Scott that all options were on the table when Scott asked if he would support raising the gas tax to increase funding for transportation projects. But within hours, Buttigieg's spokesperson was telling reporters that though a "variety of options" are being considered, an increase in the gas tax is not one of them.

It's no surprise that a member of a Democratic administration would want to avoid going on-record in favor of tax hikes this early in the game. The new administration can influence the automotive world in any number of ways, but that back-and-forth didn't do much to illuminate Biden's plans. (Confirmation hearings rarely illuminate much.)

More: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a35266863/biden-administration-transportation-energy-policy/

[catfish1957]

Might sound like a dumb question, but has there been any data of how many people have been hurt/killed by the fact the lack of  EV engine noise might fool someone in thinking the engine is off?

[mystery-ak]

Just about everyone has an SUV now...just wait until all these price increases at the pump kicks in and people fill up their tanks...but of course this is what people wanted when 84m people voted for Biden..

[sneakypete]

Might sound like a dumb question, but has there been any data of how many people have been hurt/killed by the fact the lack of  EV engine noise might fool someone in thinking the engine is off?

@catfish1957

Back in the early 1800's when electric cars were popular,some cities required owners of electric cars have someone walk in front to them ringing a bell to warm people to not step out on front of them.

Seriously. Cars were new to people back then,but at least the early gas cars made so much noise everybody could hear them coming. On the other hand,nobody suspected something large,heavy,and deadly to be bearing down on them in silence.