Peach Tree Times

Climate regulations put in place by the Biden administration are forcing automakers to steer away from gas-powered vehicles and fossil fuels. 

Ford Motor Company's goal of ramping up electric vehicle production ultimately means several thousand job cuts and possibly price increases in order to finance its big plans. 

Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) has publicly been a staunch backer of the shift to EVs and away from fossil fuels.

"We wish Ford luck," the WSJ Editorial Board said in a recent op-ed report. "But when government steers investment, consumers and workers invariably bear the cost. Let’s hope taxpayers won’t have to bail out auto makers if their government-driven EV investments crash and burn."

President Joe Biden has also expressed concern about jobs but for different reasons.

"Folks, when I think about climate change—and I’ve been saying this for three years—I think jobs," Biden said in the report.

Georgia officials are optimistic about the new green economy.

"As a native Savannahian, I’m thrilled @Hyundai is opening its 1st full electric vehicle & battery facility in the U.S. in coastal GA!" Warnock said in a May Twitter post. "Very proud to support federal investments that helped pave the way for these 8100+ jobs, & will help bring more clean jobs to our state."

In particular, Warnock said it was key to move away from fossil fuels.

"I think we need to be moving away from an economy that's based on fossil fuels, that's the way of the past and we need to be moving toward the future," he said in an interview during his 2020 campaign.

Auto executives are pushing to keep up with the pace at which EVs are growing.

"To move fast in this space, smaller is better," a Ford Motor Company executive said.in the WSJ Editorial Board report. "We need to scale EVs quickly in the US, and that is one of the aspirations in the Administration."

As reported by numerous news outlets recently, Ford is preparing to cut approximately 8,000 jobs in future weeks as it strives to reduce costs and intensify the company's focus on electric vehicles (EVs). 

By 2026, Ford wants to spend $50 billion to produce 2 million EVs every year going forward; the WSJ Editorial Board said. But the United Auto Workers union noted that a spike in EV production might culminate in the destruction of an estimated 35,000 union jobs because EVs require fewer parts. 

Keeping in line with the Biden administration's climate standards, California has banned the sale of new gas-powered cars as of the year 2035, and other states are said to be working along similar lines.

The Administration recently finalized new greenhouse-gas emission standards that are functionally an EV mandate, the WSJ report said. In the near future, traditional automakers will be forced to either produce more EVs or buy credits from EV makers such as Rivian or Tesla.