Americans are seeing a huge jump in gas prices since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began. Certain countries, including the U.S., have responded with sanctions that ban and reduce Russian oil imports. President Biden warned this would cause fuel prices to rise. Debate over the demand for electric cars has ensued.
Experts don’t believe increased fuel cost will affect car buying
. It may dictate how much consumers
drive, but won’t necessarily change what vehicles they choose to drive. Conspiracy theorists believe it’s a ploy to force Americans to go electric, but a closer look at the EV market suggests otherwise. The theories behind the high gas prices
It didn’t take conspiracy theorists very long to come up with outlandish reasoning for the recent hike in gas prices. The narrative among these social media users revolves around the administration intentionally driving up the price of gas to encourage Americans to drive electric cars, as reported by ABC News
. The motive for these speculations being that the government could control these EVs, shutting down a driver’s car at will. This comes on the heels of Biden’s infrastructure law that passed last year, funding public transportation and electric vehicles. The federal government announced $5 billion to build a nationwide electric vehicle network. The goal is for all communities, rural and urban, to benefit from the gas savings while driving an EV.
Information actually suggests that the U.S.-imposed sanctions on Russian oil is what’s driving the uncertainty and scarcity within the petroleum industry. According to CNBC
, the national average for a gallon of gas is $4.06. This recently climbed 45 cents in a week, or $1.30 over the course of 2021. MORE: The Effect of Electric Vehicles On International Fuel Taxes
Does this mean more electric cars?
Data from the automotive industry states that electric cars and hybrids only represent roughly 2.4% of the total current vehicle inventory in the U.S. Due to ongoing supply chain issues caused by the pandemic, levels have dropped 60 to 70% since 2020. Even if people want to buy electric cars, the majority of vehicles on dealership lots are already spoken for.
Regardless of rising gas prices, the high demand for all vehicles right now negates any expected savings for buyers. Put plainly, buying an electric vehicle is expensive at the moment.
Automakers have been focused on the production of trucks and SUVs, like the Ford Escape and Dodge Ram 1500. Availability is scarce for smaller cars, EVs, and hybrids.
Fox Business
compares the costs of charging electric cars to the spike in gas prices, and the values were surprising. Most electric car owners are using a 240-volt charger at home or destination chargers in public. This can typically take eight hours to completely recharge, costing an average of 13 cents per kilowatt-hour.For owners that are recharging their EVs using the convenient fast-charging stations, electricity rates are as high as 43 cents per kilowatt-hour. The cost is slightly reduced with a monthly membership. Recharging is complete in as little as 18 to 40 minutes.
MORE: Joe Biden Calls for Higher Penalties on Gas-Powered Fleets
Should I go electric?
Unless gas prices continue to rise for an extended period of time, electric cars may cost roughly the same as their gasoline-powered counterparts. Granted, there are other benefits to EV ownership, but buyers should beware that it may not be a cost-effective decision at the moment.
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