Nearly 3,500 farmers send letter to Biden concerned about EV push instead of ethanol

In Washington, a letter signed by 3,466 farmers from across the country was sent to President Biden Wednesday expressing concern that his administration is taking a short-sighted approach to addressing climate change by prioritizing the use of electric vehicles over biofuels, such as corn ethanol, as it works to drastically lower the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The letter, which drew thousands of signatures in less than a week, comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prepares to release its light- and medium-duty vehicle tailpipe emissions standards for 2027-2032. To help meet the standards, the president has set a goal that 50% of all vehicle sales will be electric by 2030. A similar rulemaking is also being considered through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A recent survey, sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association and conducted by Morning Consult, showed that Americans have concerns on a range of issues involving electric vehicles, including the accessibility of charging stations, and an overwhelming majority say vehicles that are compatible with biofuels should remain available to consumers.

In January, thousands of auto dealers from across the country signed on to a similar letter to the president noting that electric vehicles were not selling quickly and were piling up on dealer lots.

In the most recent letter, the farmers said it could take years before EVs become popular with consumers, which means the administration must expand its focus and efforts to address GHGs with solutions that are available now.