Rep. Rich Collins, R-Millsboro, represents District 41 in the Delaware House of Representatives and is running for reelection in the November general election.
Delaware plans to locate 11 multicar, fast-charging electric vehicle-charging stations along major travel routes, followed by an expansion of such charging stations into residential communities over the next five years.
It is the latest move by our state government to advance its electric vehicle — and anti-gasoline and -diesel vehicle — agenda.
Under a recent plan jointly submitted by the Delaware Department of Transportation and Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the agencies propose spending almost $18 million in federal money on a three-phase initiative to establish new vehicle-charging stations along Interstate 95, Del. 1, U.S. 13 and U.S. 113. The plan also calls for locating stations in high-density residential areas, focusing on areas with multifamily housing and/or street parking in areas that may not otherwise have convenient charging options.
Delaware’s proposal is part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program that aims to place 500,000 new charging stations across the country by 2030.
In a prepared statement, Transportation Secretary Nicole Majeski said installing charging stations here and around the country will increase consumer confidence that purchasing an electric vehicle is a practical choice and is good for Delaware.
I believe our state and federal officials are not offering a choice to consumers but are rather forcing them down a path.
In early March, Gov. John Carney announced that Delaware is joining 13 other states in adopting California’s Advanced Clean Car II initiative. Under that program’s regulations, which were officially approved by the California Air Resources Board on Aug. 25, the sale of traditionally fueled light-duty passenger cars, trucks and SUVs will be rapidly scaled down, starting with the 2026 model year. It will culminate with a total ban in California on the sale of new gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles in 2035.
We continue to see government officials forcing problematic electric vehicle technology onto a reluctant public, based more on political ideology than sound science and rationality.
For example, according to the U.S. Transportation Department, the fast-charging stations the Carney administration plans to build will still take 20 minutes to an hour to deliver an 80% charge. What kind of chaos will that produce at a Wawa at the beach on a summer weekend, or any other high-traffic location?
The performance of electric vehicle technology is also significantly inferior to gasoline and diesel vehicles in a variety of common situations. Especially relevant for Downstate Delawareans is the limited range of an electric pickup truck carrying a load or hauling a trailer, when compared to its traditional counterpart.
There are other huge issues that have not been addressed, such as the sourcing of the materials needed for battery manufacturing, the disposing or recycling of vehicle batteries on a massive scale, the consumer cost of replacing batteries and limitations of the power grid to support hundreds of thousands of Delawareans simultaneously recharging their cars when they get home at night.
We should be allowing consumers to voluntarily purchase electric vehicles as they wish, allowing this technology to naturally mature and advance. Instead, we’re seemingly barreling down the road of good intentions without a firm handle on what’s waiting for us at the end of the ride.
