Keystone Today

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 amping up electric vehicle (EV) production ultimately means several thousand job cuts, as well as likely price increases to finance the company’s plans, Reuters reported.

The use of EVs across Pennsylvania has risen in recent years and House Democrats representing the state are taking measures to advance the transition toward EVs.

"We wish Ford luck,” the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board said in a recent 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 asserts that climate change will take more jobs than changes to the automotive industry.

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

Ford Motor Company is preparing to cut up to 8,000 jobs in the coming weeks to reduce costs and intensify the company's focus on EVs, Reuters reported. According to the WSJ, by 2026, Ford plans to spend $50 billion to produce 2 million EVs annually.

An increase in EV manufacturing could result in the loss of an estimated 35,000 union jobs because it requires fewer parts, according to the United Auto Workers Union.

It is estimated that of the 12 million registered vehicles in Pennsylvania, almost 30,000 are EVs, according to a June 6 release from Pennsylvania House Democrats. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Pennsylvania is set to receive more than $25 million annually until 2026-- funding that will support the Biden administration’s goal of installing EV charging stations every 50 miles along major highways, the release stated.

California has banned the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, and other states are said to be following, according to the WSJ. The administration recently finalized new greenhouse-gas emission standards that are, in effect, an EV mandate.

“Traditional auto makers will have no choice but to churn out more EVs or buy credits from EV makers such as Tesla and Rivian" in the near future, the WSJ reported.