DEI crippling EV agenda, documents show

The Biden administration’s electric vehicle (EV) plans are being held up by the administration’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda.

Seven EV stations built in 2 ½ years

In November 2021, Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked $7.5 billion in taxpayer funds to build a network of 500,000 EV charging stations across the country. To date, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has built seven stations.

This holdup may be due — at least in part — to DEI initiatives, according to the Washington Free Beacon. Shortly after occupying the Oval Office, for example, Biden signed an executive order for a program called Justice40. The initiative requires that 40% of the benefits from certain federal programs go to “disadvantaged communities.” This includes grants and contracts.

‘This all just slows down construction’

In a 110-page memo, the DOT explains that applicants for government grants and contracts must "demonstrate how meaningful public involvement, inclusive of disadvantaged communities, will occur throughout a project’s life cycle." 

“Achieving meaningful public involvement requires the creation and implementation of equitable programs and plans using a diverse and inclusive range of communications and outreach tools and methods throughout the project or program lifecycle,” said the report.

For “equity,” the DOT recommends prospective grant recipients attend fairs, neighborhood block parties, and local events to foster “meaningful public involvement.” When doing so, they should “be mindful of cultural norms for engaging audiences of diverse backgrounds” and “provide multilingual staff or interpreters to interact with community members who use languages other than English.”

"This all just slows down construction," Jim Meigs, a policy expert and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, told the Free Beacon. "These ‘public involvement’ requirements are impossible to quantify and even open builders up to lawsuits by members of the community where an electric vehicle charging station is set to be constructed."

DEI requirements ‘handcuff professionals’

According to internal memos, candidates who want to win government contracts must submit lengthy reports detailing how they will promote “equity” throughout the project. This includes involving “minority-owned businesses” and a commitment to “focus on women, people of color, and others that are underrepresented in infrastructure jobs." 

"These onerous diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements handcuff professionals from making proper evaluations and prevent the government/public from funding the most deserving projects, instead funneling money towards less qualified applicants," said a senior DOT official.

Project less about EV charging, more about votes

Meigs said the Biden administration’s ultimate goal is not to install EV charging stations, but to satisfy Democrat constituencies. The EV project, like some other federal programs, is a strategy to secure votes for the Democratic Party by funneling funds and jobs to certain communities.

Despite falling woefully short on an EV infrastructure, however, the Biden administration still intends to force the auto industry to transform into an EV market. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in March issued tight emissions standards that will require 56% of new vehicle sales to be fully electric by 2032, with an additional 13% required to be hybrids.