Opinion | Electrification will bolster national and economic security

This past Independence Day was an opportunity to reflect on our country’s history, thank all who have served, and appreciate living in the United States — a bastion of freedom to people across the  planet. 

Despite our fortune, we face many national and economic security risks that are directly linked to oil’s monopoly on our transportation systems. Global oil markets are controlled by bad actors who don’t share our democratic values. Shifting to electric vehicles (EVs) can reduce  dependence on oil, promote consumer choice, and bolster our economic and national security. 

Oil’s monopoly on transportation allows hostile actors to have an outsized impact on our domestic oil market; fuel prices and availability fluctuate based on geopolitics and the actions of OPEC countries, which subjects consumers to high costs and supply issues. However, a June 2022 report noted that the price of gasoline had risen 52% in a year, while the cost of electricity only rose 3.6%. Electricity prices tend to remain stable over time due to a diverse domestic energy portfolio. Because the transportation sector alone accounts for 27% of energy use in the United States, transitioning to EVs presents an immense opportunity to secure our energy independence while providing significant daily savings to drivers. In Michigan, EV owners will save $20-$30 per fill-up (based on Aug. 2023 electricity and gas prices).  

The national security benefits of EVs are not limited to stable prices and domestic autonomy over energy production. Oil’s monopoly on transportation has direct consequences for our military operations. Analyses have shown that the United States military spends at least $81 billion annually protecting global oil supplies. This amounts to approximately 16-20% of the  Defense Department’s annual base budget — hardly an insignificant figure. 

Leading military officers such as retired Army General Duncan J. McNabb, former commander of the U.S. Transportation Command and current member of the Energy Security Leadership Council, argue that reducing our dependence on oil would allow for the reinvestment of this spending into  essential military capabilities such as cybersecurity and hypersonic weapons. As more and more consumers choose cash-saving EVs, we will bolster national security by helping to ensure that defense spending is allocated to emerging 21st-century threats and an ever-evolving  global security apparatus.  

Increasing domestic production of EVs is also essential to U.S. national security. Between our current dependence on China for essential goods and numerous hostile actions taken by the country, it is apparent that China is a top national security threat. Despite this, we have allowed China to dominate the global EV market and form plans to continue increasing investment and sales of EVs worldwide. As Americans, especially Michiganders, we cannot cede control of the next generation of transportation to China.  

Thankfully, our approach to competing with China is evolving. Over the past three years, we have witnessed generational investments in U.S. manufacturing in the clean tech industries due to federal policies such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS Act. In Michigan, this includes over $7 billion in EV-related investments, such as  battery manufacturing, mineral recycling and charging infrastructure, with many more investments coming if we defend and expand policies promoting economic security and American manufacturing. 

However, the Legislature must do more. One of the concrete actions that Michigan must take to accelerate EV adoption is incentives for medium- and heavy-duty fleets. Analyses have shown that electrifying government fleets within Michigan would save taxpayers millions in reduced fueling and maintenance costs. Transitioning to clean transit buses, trucks and other medium and heavy-duty vehicles offers an opportunity to foster economic growth, improve public  health, and strengthen national security.  

We live in the greatest country on Earth in an increasingly complex and hostile global environment. Today, oil’s monopoly on our transportation system has exacerbated national security vulnerabilities. As more and more Americans choose to purchase an EV, thanks to our current policies and incentives, we will bolster our energy independence, promote American jobs, and ensure that the future of the automotive industry is in the United States.