Energy Secretary’s EV Roadtrip Turns Into ‘VEEP-Like Scene’

The Biden Administration’s Electric Vehicle Road Trip

The Biden administration‘s efforts to promote electric vehicles hit a roadblock during Energy Secretary Jennifer⁤ Granholm‘s summer trip through the southeast United States.

Granholm and her entourage used a fleet of electric vehicles to journey from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Memphis, Tennessee, with town hall events‍ along the way, NPR’s Camila Domonoske ‌wrote in a report published on Sunday.

The purpose of ​the trip was to draw attention to the ‍billions of dollars the White House is pouring into green energy and⁣ clean cars, but ​Domonoske, who joined ‌the caravan for ​the ride, ⁤shared how the⁢ four-day venture ‌was‍ not a⁤ smooth​ ride all the way through.

Energy ‌Secretary Granholm recently took⁢ 4-day EV caravan trip across the southeast ⁢to “draw attention⁢ to the billions of dollars the White House is ‌pouring into​ green​ energy and clean cars.”

What happened next is like ⁣a scene out of VEEP: pic.twitter.com/D0uuGJjJIl

— ‌Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) September 10, 2023

A Bumpy Ride

“[B]etween stops, ⁣Granholm’s entourage at⁤ times had⁢ to grapple with the limitations of the present.⁤ Like when‍ her caravan of EVs⁤ — ‍including ‍a luxury Cadillac ‌Lyriq, ‌a hefty Ford F-150 ⁢and an affordable⁢ Bolt electric utility vehicle — was planning⁢ to fast-charge in Grovetown, a suburb of Augusta, Georgia,” the report said.

“Her‌ advance team ⁢realized⁢ there weren’t⁤ going to be enough plugs to go ‌around. One of the station’s ‌four chargers was broken, and others were occupied. So an‌ Energy Department ⁢staffer tried parking a ‌nonelectric vehicle by one of those working chargers to reserve a spot for the approaching secretary of energy,” the report continued. “That did not go down well: a ‍regular gas-powered car blocking the ‍only free spot for‍ a ⁣charger?”

“In fact, a family that was boxed out — on a sweltering ⁤day, with⁣ a baby in the vehicle —⁢ was so upset they‍ decided to get the authorities ​involved: They called the police,” the report added. “The⁤ sheriff’s office couldn’t ⁤do​ anything. It’s not⁣ illegal⁤ for a non-EV to claim a charging spot in Georgia. Energy ⁣Department staff scrambled to smooth over⁣ the situation, including sending other vehicles to‌ slower chargers, until both the frustrated family and the secretary had room to charge.”

The story drew⁤ some mockery on social media, highlighted as being an encapsulation of the ​hardships that complicate the federal government’s push ⁣for a transition away from gasoline-burning vehicles.

Scott Lincicome,‌ the vice⁣ president of general economics ‌at the libertarian Cato Institute,‌ shared a ‍screenshot of ‌the ‌passage about the​ struggles experienced by Granholm’s crew and said it was⁤ “like a ⁤scene out of VEEP,” referring ‌to ⁣HBOa’s political satire⁣ series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus that ran⁢ from‌ 2012​ to 2019.

“Secretary of Energy boots family with baby so she can use their EV charger. ‌For reference, Article⁢ I, Section 9 states ⁣‘No Title of Nobility shall be granted by⁤ the ‍United States,’” added Heritage ‍Foundation research fellow Peter St Onge.

The Challenges Ahead

Domonoske noted in her​ report that‌ drivers may face more issues with there not​ being enough chargers as the number of electric vehicles increases.⁤ She emphasized how this is particularly a problem for non-Tesla electric vehicles, as ‌Elon⁤ Musk’s company still dominates ‌ the market in the United States, though some other‌ automakers are ⁢embracing Tesla’s technology and its charging network is⁣ being opened to more⁣ vehicles.

Granholm, at the end of her trip, conceded, ‌“Clearly, we need more high-speed chargers, particularly⁤ in ​the South.”

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