Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves Signs Dumb New Restrictions On Electric Vehicles

from the not-so-free-market dept

In the event you’re an automaker or oil large eager on slowing the rise of electrical automobiles, there’s no scarcity of captured lawmakers prepared and prepared to implement your horrible concepts, nevertheless dangerous or impractical.

In North Carolina, Republican leaders have pushed a invoice demanding locals destroy any free electrical automobile stations on public land, if native authorities don’t construct free gasoline and diesel pumps alongside them. In Wyoming, state Republican leaders tried to implement a ban on electrical automobiles, although the ban itself is little greater than performative, oil business ass kissing.

In Mississippi, Republican Governor Tate Reeves signed a invoice just lately proscribing electrical automotive producers from promoting automobiles in particular person except they open conventional, franchised dealerships. Reeves is pretending the transfer, clearly a futile bid to guard oil pursuits and automotive corporations which have lagged on EVs, is all about defending small companies:

“Virtually 200 small companies in communities throughout our state are searching for assurances that large producers can’t simply destroy their companies. That’s truthful!” Reeves, a Republican, stated in an announcement posted to social media. “I additionally acknowledge that innovation on this business is inevitable. And with innovation comes new corporations with new enterprise fashions. I’m dedicated to search out long-term options—in an ever altering market.”

That justification, after all, makes completely no fucking sense in context of what the invoice really does.

Republicans have spent a long time pretending to be devoted to free market innovation. Although their precise observe file of coddling giants (see: telecom, banking, vitality, airways, insurance coverage, well being care) broadly disproves the declare. Extra just lately, they’ve pretended to be a celebration tremendous desirous about “antitrust reform,” although these efforts are additionally as hole as an inexpensive Easter chocolate bunny.

On this case, Mississippi’s extra “conventional” restrictions don’t ban the sale of electrical automobiles, however if you happen to’re oblivious or detached to Musk’s reputational implosion and out there for a Tesla, they’ll power you to go to the state’s solely sanctioned (through carve out) Tesla supplier in Brandon. EV makers normally are restricted from opening any new shops except they adhere to the standard, dated and convoluted franchise mannequin individuals have been complaining about for many years.

Granted there are nonetheless some Republicans that notice this sort of senseless oil and conventional auto business ass kissing is each dangerous and idiotic:

Republican Sen. Brice Wiggins, a Republican from Pascagoula, had hoped Reeves would veto the laws. Lawmakers had been aiming to draw Tesla to Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, an space Wiggins referred to as the state’s financial driver.

“In right now’s world, if you happen to don’t innovate, you lose out. We as a state can’t afford to lose out,” Wiggins instructed The Related Press on Tuesday. “My vote in opposition to the invoice was a vote for capitalism, competitors and innovation reasonably than for a coverage of protectionism.”

But the brand new restrictions nonetheless handed the state legislature 39-13, driving could be EV consumers to a neighboring state. You already know, out of an timeless love of small enterprise innovation.

Filed Underneath: large oil, local weather change, corruption, electrical automobiles, ev, franchise dealership, mississippi, regulatory seize, republican, restrictions, tate reeves