Progress, Thy Name is ZETA: New Electric Vehicle Lobbying Group Hits the Scene
If you think the political class is interested in what kind of policies citizens would like to see implemented, you’ve clearly never heard of lobbying groups. While we’re stuck at home writing thoughtful letters to congressional interns in the faintest hope that they’ll be dictated to a senator, corporately supported lobbyists are taking legislators out to dinner so they can discuss how best to govern on a single issue. They’re important in determining the trajectory of the nation but many get criticized for placing the needs of the business over that of the individual voter.
Buckle up, because we’re getting another one. On Tuesday, the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) held its own coming-out party and announced its mission to advocate for “national policies that will enable 100 [percent] electric vehicle sales throughout the light-, medium-, and heavy-duty sectors by 2030.”
Similar timetables aside, the Zero Emission Transportation Association’s general ambitions also seem broadly compatible. In Tuesday’s announcement, ZETA acknowledged it would be prioritizing stringent emission laws and tax incentives that would encourage widespread EV adoption, investments into the charging infrastructure, and an aligned vision for electrification to be adhered to by all.
“For the first time in a generation, transportation is the leading emitter of U.S. carbon emissions. By embracing EVs, federal policymakers can help drive innovation, create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and improve air quality and public health,” said Joe Britton, Executive Director of ZETA, in a prepared statement. “ZETA’s formation recognizes a pivotal moment for national leadership and reflects the will of the growing clean transportation sector.”
“The next decade will be critical in implementing federal policies that accelerate the transition to zero emissions vehicles and help address these problems head-on. The clean vehicle sector already boasts hundreds of thousands of jobs but, if we encourage its growth, the United States can decisively win the global race to develop a new clean transportation economy and employ hundreds of thousands of Americans right here at home.”
We’ve got questions about this. While we’ve often heard that pushing EVs would increase the number of modern, tech-focused jobs, it appears to come at the expense of factory positions. Electric cars don’t have as many moving parts, requiring less manpower and fewer suppliers. Daimler recently announced that it would be eliminating staff for that very reason — though we have a hunch that was also a cover for it spending way too much money on development. No matter, since the outcome remains largely the same.
An affiliated group called the ZETA Education Fund has launched in tandem with the association and will be focused on “educating the public on the environmental and social benefits and opportunities associated with broad EV adoption, will launch concurrently.” Founding ZETA members include 28 major corporations, including ABB, Albemarle Corporation, ChargePoint, ConEdision, EVBox, Lordstown Motors, Lucid Motors, PG&E Corporation, Proterra, Rivian, Siemens, SRP, Tesla, Vistra, Uber, and WAVE.
[Image: Welcomia/Shutterstock]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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Killing ICE is easy. It is already dying. No one in his right mind is going develop new IC engines. Powering airplanes with electricity is more tricky. Anything other than using microwave lasers to deliver energy doesn't come to my mind. And how to apply it to jets is beyond me. Only option I see is to ground all planes and force people to travel on electric trains and ships.
"Dubbed the “Great Reset Initiative,” the plan is effectively eco-communism and allows no room for vehicles that aren’t powered entirely by electricity." It involves a lot more than that including almost complete destruction of life as we have known it. Very interesting. I've never seen the term "Great Reset" used anywhere other than on web sites that are the type that the MSM twits as being "conspiracy theory" or "fake news. The Great Reset has been mentioned for a while on such sites and the year given has been 2030. Some of the other things mentioned have also been coming out into the open lately. Maybe these conspiracy theorist know something. Can't be or CNN or the NYT would have told us...