In Appeal to Michiganders, President Biden Underscores Intentions of Investing in Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
During his visit to Howell on Tuesday, the president largely highlighted infrastructure deficits the United States faces when compared to other world powers with advanced economies.
President Joe Biden made a stop in Howell to promote his infrastructure funding package this week. Republicans and Democrats are thought to be negotiating toward a $2 trillion price tag on the set of bills, which are currently stalled in Congress.
In an appeal to Michiganders, Biden used his remarks to underscore his intentions of investing in electric vehicle infrastructure — from both a charging station and manufacturing standpoint. Biden framed the U.S. as being in direct competition with China in that area.
“We need to make sure America builds that future instead of falling behind.” — President Joe Biden
“China’s not waiting around,” says Biden. “They’ve manufactured more than twice as many electric vehicles as we have over the last decade. They control more than 75% of the battery market.”
Biden says funding in one of his bills would increase the nation’s EV manufacturing capacity. He says building out a network of charging stations and offering purchasing incentives would help fuel consumer interest in electric vehicles.
“The future of the auto industry is electric,” says Biden. “We need to make sure America builds that future instead of falling behind. We should build those vehicles and the batteries that get them here in the United States of America. That’s where we should build them, here in the State of Michigan.”
Biden also highlighted overall infrastructure deficits the U.S. faces compared to other nations with advanced economies. One field he paid special attention to was education, stating that the United States consistently ranks behind its competitors on both investment in learning and graduation rates.
He says the U.S. ranks 13th among all countries when it comes to quality of infrastructure. It’s another area where he described the nation as being in competition with China — saying that China spends about three times as much on infrastructure as a share of its economy compared to the United States.
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