To the editor: Your editorial on the Biden administration's tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles confuses the sticker price of an electric vehicle with the actual cost of driving it and misrepresents the real reason for the slowdown in electric vehicle sales.
The best-selling gasoline sedan is the Toyota Corolla, which can be driven with a lease payment of typically $299 per month, plus the cost of gasoline and repairs.
The best-selling electric vehicle is the Tesla Model Y, which you can drive with a lease payment of $399 a month, less savings on gas and repairs. Those savings put the actual monthly cost well below $299.
It's this type of confusion that discourages potential EV buyers.
The other reason is the lack of decent charging infrastructure for any car other than a Tesla. Only Tesla had the foresight to build a nationwide network of Superchargers that is reliable, easy to use, and eliminates any hint of range anxiety.
A $12,000 electric vehicle made in China without the necessary charging infrastructure to accommodate it will not accelerate the transition to zero-emission cars.
Michael Mekeel, Los Angeles
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To the editor: We won't need any help from China's tariffs to kill off the electric car if the media, including The Times, continues its relentless and misleading characterization of electric vehicle prices as sky-high and out of reach for many.
Remember, the vast majority of Americans buy used cars and I just did a quick search. I found used EVs from Chevrolet, Ford, Volkswagen, BMW, and Nissan for less than $20,000, and that's before a federal tax credit of up to $4,000, for which all vehicles were eligible.
Some utility companies offer even higher rebates for replacing highly polluting vehicles. Add to that the incentives of charging stations and the reduced cost of operating an electric vehicle (hello, gas prices), and you have a pretty picture.
More than that, it's much more realistic. Please stop perpetuating your misleading scenario.
Zan Dubin, Santa Monica
The writer is a co-founder of National Drive Electric Week.
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To the editor: We don't need to choose between accelerating the use of electric vehicles while decimating the jobs of American auto workers, and accelerating global warming because electric vehicle adoption is slowing to a crawl. Instead, we must ensure that Chinese auto workers are paid fairly.
Recent changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement have made it easier for Mexican workers to form real, independent unions.
Furthermore, the United Auto Workers union has not only demonstrated that the lives of workers in the American South can be raised to a decent level, but has also committed to supporting Mexican auto workers in their attempts to raise their own standard of living.
As American and Mexican employees struggle to return to the middle class, they improve their respective economies and become consumers rather than mere wage slaves.
China must have access to the North American and European markets. We should open ours only to the extent that China allows strong, independent unions to flourish and cooperate with their counterparts around the world.
Douglas Marshall, Bell
