Stefanik Stands Up Against Hochul's Out-of-Touch Gas Vehicles Ban

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik today led six of her colleagues in opposing Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal to ban gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

In the letter, the lawmakers pointed out that Hochul’s mandate would impose significant cost burdens on New Yorkers while costs are already high, overburden the state’s electric grid, and limit consumer choice.

“Your plan to require an all-Electric Vehicle (EV) fleet will further raise prices on vehicles that New Yorkers already cannot afford, inhibit rural communities’ ability to thrive, and wreak further havoc on the already struggling power grid in New York. Forcing New Yorkers to purchase EVs in 2035 will cause significant financial hardship to the average consumer. Over the last year, electric vehicle prices have skyrocketed approximately 56.7 percent, while hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars rose 30.5 percent. New Yorkers are already battling steep costs due to inflation, rising energy costs, and the ongoing supply chain crisis. Energy prices, including prices for home heating oil in the North Country, have nearly doubled over the last year. Forcing New Yorkers to purchase electric vehicles will only serve to add undue burdens that they cannot bear,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Rural communities in Upstate New York and the North Country rely on vehicles at much higher rates than the urban areas in and around New York City. In February 2022, the New York State Comptroller released an audit of the New York Power Authority (NYPA) which uncovered that NYPA placed charging stations in only 32 of 62 counties in the State and did not maintain an accurate inventory of EV charging stations. This out-of-touch mandate will further inhibit New York rural communities’ ability to prosper and maintain stable economies,” the lawmakers continued.

Stefanik was joined by Congressman Lee Zeldin (NY-01), Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22), Congressman Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27), Congressman John Katko (NY-24), and Congressman Joe Sempolinski (NY-23) in sending this letter.

Read the full letter here.