SCARY ELECTRIC VEHICLE FUTURE

THE REAL COST FOR EVS

What is the actual per-gallon equivalent cost of driving an electric vehicle for 10 years? According to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which did the research, it’s $17.34 per gallon.

Of course, there is the $1.21 cost-per-gallon equivalent cost of charging an electric vehicle (EV), as cited by EV advocates, but the study says the actual cost also must include the costs of direct subsidies to buyers of the car and chargers; indirect subsidies in the form of avoided fuel taxes and fees, as well as electric grid generation, transmission, distribution, and overhead costs for utilities; and regulatory mandates that include fuel economy standards, EPA greenhouse gas credits, and zero-emission mandates.

It also assumes EVs will be driven for 10 years and 120,000 miles, which the study authors claim is a generous estimate. According to J.D. Power, EVs lose 2.3% of their range each year due to battery degradation, which leads EVs to lose value faster than internal combustion cars.

The $17.34 figure is calculated from the $1.21 for the cost of residential electricity, $1.38 for charging and metering costs per equivalent gallon, $2.72 per gallon in federal and state EV buyer tax credits and rebates, $0.40 per gallon in avoided charging infrastructure costs split between taxpayers and utility ratepayers, $3.18 per gallon for utility ratepayers in increased costs to enable the grid to charge electric vehicles at mass scale through increased power generation, transmission and distribution, $1.48 per gallon equivalent due to requirements in many states that manufacturers sell a certain number of often money-losing EVs in order to continue selling other cars, $1.01 per gallon equivalent due to EPA GHG emissions standards, and $5.96 per gallon equivalent for Corporate Average Fuel Economy Credits.

DEMOCRATS AND ‘SWIFTIES’

Tennessee Democrats, in one of their daily pleas for contributions last week, were hoping “Swifties” would take notice.

“Team, before you press play on your weekend — or Taylor Swift’s new album “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” — we needed to alert you that we’re tracking behind our Run Tennessee Fund Goal,” the email solicitation read.

“Tennessee native Taylor Swift is breaking records left and right, and with the release of her new album, we wanted to ask: “Will you chip in $19.89 …?”

As with many things, the Democrats don’t have it quite right. Swift is not a native of Tennessee but was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania. She and her mother came to Nashville when she was 11 to see if she could pursue a career in music, but she was rejected because, as she has said, “everyone in that town wanted to do what I wanted to do.”

When she was 14, her family moved to the Nashville bedroom community of Hendersonville.

There’s no question Swift is playing on the “D” team, though. She identifies as pro-choice on abortion, supports LGBTQ rights, endorsed Phil Bredesen in the 2018 Tennessee U.S. Senate race, endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential campaign and donated to the Black Lives Matter movement following the George Floyd protests in 2020.

While “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” is a new album, “1989” was originally released in 2014; the new version is repackaged (like, some might say, most Democratic policies).

WHO’S THE CRANKIEST?

Were you aware Friday was Cranky Co-Workers Day? We weren’t either until receiving an email notifying us Tennessee was ninth in the country in having the crankiest co-workers.

We’re not sure how serious the survey by Gambling.com was, but the email said researchers analyzed online search term data related to people unhappy with their job. Their search terms were “Bare Minimum Monday” (a trend started on TikTok to describe the slowed-down workweek start), “Resignation Letter,” “Rage Applying” (applying, in frustration with current jobs, for as many jobs as possible), “Excuses To Get Out Of Work” and “Quiet Quitting” (employees continuing to put in the minimum amount of effort).

Colorado had the crankiest workers overall, while the Volunteer State displayed its crankiness most by checking out excuses to get out of work.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD PLUMPERS

In case there’s any question about Democrats and their strong support in high places for abortion in the Chattanooga area, two of the hosts for an upcoming fundraising event for abortion provider Planned Parenthood are Chris Anderson, senior advisor to Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly for legislative initiatives, and Hamilton County Democratic Party Chair Rachel Campbell.

Anderson is a former one-term Chattanooga city councilman and the first openly gay man to be so elected, a former president of the Tennessee Young Democrats and the former executive vice president of Young Democrats of America.

Campbell has been chair of local Democrats since 2021 and served as vice chair from 2017 to 2019.

Chattanooga hasn’t had an abortion clinic for nearly 30 years, and Planned Parenthood didn’t have a full-time staff member in the area from 2005 until recent years. However, the organization’s website lists a Cobb County, Georgia, center as its closest local contact.