Biden Pours $3 Billion Into Electric Vehicle Battery Production

The Biden administration is continuing to push electric vehicles as the cars of the near future.

The Energy Department recently pledged to spend $3.1 billion on matching grants for electric vehicle battery manufacturing and processing. The money can be used in a variety of different ways, including redesigning plants for battery production or processing minerals for use in batteries, the Detroit News reports.

“Positioning the United States front and center in meeting the growing demand for advanced batteries is how we boost our competitiveness and electrify our transportation system,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement announcing the new spending.

President Joe Biden has already said he wants at least half of all cars produced in the U.S. to be electric vehicles by 2030. His administration “has been pushing policies that would accelerate the transition to electric vehicles since coming into office, including directing federal agencies to buy only zero-emission light-duty vehicles by 2027 and only zero-emission vehicles fleetwide by 2035,” Riley Beggin reports for the Detroit News.

Major carmakers have also been moving their focus to electric vehicles. 

General Motors announced early last year that it will only sell zero-emissions vehicles by 2035, while Volkswagen says it will offer an electric version of each of its models by 2030. Ford announced last year that it plans to make electric cars 40% of its annual vehicle sales by 2030 and has since begun offering more electric versions of vehicles like the popular F150 truck.

But the push to electrify driving has also come with some major hiccups, prompting serious safety concerns.

Federal investigators are looking into a rash of electric car fires and a series of recalls for plug-in cars in California and across the country. Five major car manufacturers have recalled cars in the last 17 months, citing battery problems that pose fire risks: General Motors, Stellantis, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai.

Electric cars are not the only problem. Major auto manufacturers recall millions of gas-powered cars every year, citing a wide range of defects that put people’s safety at risk.

California Car Owners’ Rights

Car owners and lessors in California have some important rights and protections when it comes to defective and malfunctioning vehicles.

The state’s lemon law requires automakers to do a full range of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. 

The law also forces car manufacturers to buy back vehicles that they cannot or simply refuse to fix. That includes compensating the owner for the purchase price, as well as financing fees and other related expenses like towing and rental cars.

Speak with a Los Angeles Lemon Law Attorney

If you are stuck with a lemon or locked in a dispute with a car manufacturer over repairs, the Los Angeles lemon law attorneys at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help. 

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a Los Angeles lemon law attorney.