PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 10, 2023
Electric vehicles use more aluminum to offset battery weight, and aluminum production is very energy-intensive. So is moving tons of earth to find the lithium and other toxic materials that EV batteries require. Then there are the large increases in charging stations and the expensive expansion of the electricity grid that will be needed. Developing this infrastructure should take priority over forced EV sales. The $17 billion in savings that would supposedly result from the mandate doesn’t take any of these upstream costs into account. Consumers will buy EVs when it makes economic sense and when infrastructure improvements reduce the inconvenience and frustrations of ownership. ~ Martin Jones, Freeport