DELAWARE- The debate over a potential electric vehicle mandate in Delaware continues, with today marking the final day for public comment submission to DNREC.
Santosh Viswanathan, who represents two car dealerships in Kent and Sussex counties, revealed to WBOC that Jeep will now exclusively send the hybrid version of their Wrangler Sport to the dealerships in Seaford and Smyrna.
Viswanathan expressed concerns about affordability, stating, "The Jeep Wrangler Sports start at around $32,000, whereas the Jeep Wrangler 4xE's start at around $52,000. That affordability index becomes a real issue to the average Delawareans, who are the tax-paying citizens, who are not having any say in this whole process."
The Director of Delaware's Sierra Club, an environmental organization, believes the shift toward electric vehicles is inevitable.
"The market is happening, so the question is not do we follow this regulation or that regulation anymore. The question is do we want to play catch up later down the road or do we want automakers to prioritize Delaware now?" said Dustyn Thompson.
During DNREC's official public hearing on April 26, mixed opinions were voiced regarding the regulations.
Thompson noted that 45 people expressed support for the regulations, while only 11 individuals opposed them.
Still, concerns linger among some Delawareans.
Jon and Christina Fitzwater, who own an auto body shop in Dover, worry about the implications for their business.
"There is a lot of training I have to go through, there is a lot of equipment we would have to buy to service the batteries and all of that with electric cars, and right now we just don't do that stuff," said Jon.
Democratic lawmakers have introduced several bills aimed at enhancing the state's electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
On the other hand, Republican lawmakers have filed legislation that looks to limit DNREC's authority by requiring that any changes to emissions regulations go through the General Assembly first.
Comments can be submitted to DNREC here: de.gov/dnreccomments.
