Friends and neighbors,

Purchasing a new car is an important decision and one that requires a lot of thought on what type of vehicle will best fit your personal needs. Will you need a minivan for all your family trips or a large truck for your line of work? Since no person’s needs are the same, it should be a guarantee that we all have the right to choose a vehicle that best fits into our individual lifestyles. However, Governor Walz wants to take this decision away from Minnesota consumers.

Walz’s California Cars Rule Mandate – officially adopted in May of 2021 and set to be enacted in 2025 – ties Minnesota to California’s emission standards. And recently, the California Air Resources Board voted to start phasing out gasoline-burning vehicles by 2035. Under the rules unilaterally set by Walz, Minnesota would have to follow suit and prohibit the sale of combustion engines post 2035, if no action is taken. That is why there is now a significant decision to be made next year, 2023 – will Minnesota conform to California’s stricter low emission CA standards or follow the regular federal low emissions standards? 

I strongly believe that there is no place for the governor’s electric vehicle mandate in Minnesota. This rule denies Minnesota’s consumer choice, and instead, allows California officials to dictate our electric vehicle future. These vehicles are already gaining traction in the marketplace, so there is no need for the state to interfere. That is why consumers, not the rules set in place by Walz, should lead electric vehicle adoption. 

Additionally, Walz’s California Cars Rule Mandate is an expensive rule that will cost Minnesotans more money. Kelley Blue Book notes the current average electric vehicle price is $66 thousand, while the average industry wide is $48 thousand. The average price for a new electric vehicle – more than $66,000, according to estimates – also remains well above the broader industry average and aligns more with luxury prices. 

While some might say that the higher upfront costs are mitigated over the life of the vehicle, this is not true for the consumer. Electric vehicles come with their own unique set of expenses, including repairs that can be significantly more expensive than a traditional car, replacing the very large expensive battery (as much as $20,000) and the unpredictable cost to charge these vehicles at home much less longer travels. For this reason, forcing Minnesota consumers to switch to luxury-priced electric vehicles would be an additional heavy cost burden on families. 

Finally, Minnesota is already experiencing worrying grid issues and electric vehicles would only heighten this strain. In fact, this is the challenge that California recently experienced. Due to high temperatures and the instability of the grid, California told its electric vehicle owners to not even plug in their cars all that often. Therefore, before Minnesota can even consider large-scale electric vehicle adoption, we must first ensure that the grid has proper infrastructure in place to handle this large increase. The most important needs of electricity are heating, cooling and cooking (basic survival needs) not optional electric cars. This rule mandate puts cars before basic needs. 

Minnesota is not California, so it is not realistic to align ourselves with their strict emission standards. Governor Walz’s California Cars Rule Mandate is an overreach of government power and denies our consumer choice of fuel. From added expenses for consumer to the unpredictably of the electrical grid, forced electric vehicle adoption would only lead to new burdens for Minnesota. That is why it is vital to repeal the harmful rule mandates set by Governor Walz and safeguard our right to choose the best fuel to meet basic individual needs.

Contact me

As always, if have questions or concerns on any legislative topic, feel free to contact me any time. You can call me at 651-296-5655 or send me an email at sen.mary.kiffmeyer@senate.mn. It is a privilege to serve as your state senator.

Sincerely,

Mary