Secretary of the Department of Transportation Pete Buttigieg sat down with ABC15, discussing a number of topics including the future of electric vehicles in Arizona and across the country.
According to the latest numbers from the Department of Energy, there are more than 40,000 electric vehicles zipping by on Arizona streets — but it's not just about the energy savings.
In a recent interview, Sec. Buttigieg said electric vehicles are also driving up the job market in Arizona.
"Look at the investment coming to Arizona," said Sec. Buttigieg. "$5.5 billion for an LG project.You have another battery manufacturer planning a factory in the Tucson area. And it's part of the biggest focus as we've had in the administration to create good-paying American jobs, including manufacturing."
In a Google search, ABC15 found three dozen listings just on jobs dealing with electric vehicles; ZipRecruiter had more than 300 listings with salaries ranging from the mid-$30,000s to nearly $120,000.
"In addition to the climate benefits, in addition to the strategic benefits - just the simple fact that we are having a lot of good paying jobs on American soil in Arizona is one of the things we are most excited about in this work."
But it's not all good news. Just last month, Lucid Motors announced it would slash nearly a fifth of its total workforce — an estimated 1,300 employees. Lucid has a large facility in Casa Grande, although the company has not specified where exactly those layoffs would be.
There's also the sticker shock many American consumers feel when shopping for these electric vehicles.
"We've worked through the inflation reduction act to lower the cost of EVs through tax credits," said Sec. Buttigieg.
ABC15 checked with the IRS and for Tax Year 2023, you can get up to a $7,500 tax credit if you buy an electric vehicle. But according to the New York Times and Kelley Blue Book, the average price of all new cars and trucks is more than $49,000 - compared to more than $61,000 for the average new electric vehicle.
But that doesn't mean you can't find deals. In a recent article, US News & World Report highlighted EVs in all price ranges, with the Chevy Bolt coming in the lowest at $26,500.
"Remember, even if your car payment is higher, your cost of charging it is much lower than the cost of filling up with gas or diesel. Add to that the fact that EVs have less maintenance needs too because they have fewer parts and the tax credits we are using to lower that sticker price. You are seeing a formula that is going to save money for millions of Americans."
