Politicians Said EVs Were Too Expensive - So... What About War (And the Cost of Gas?)

For years, politicians — mostly on the conservative side of the political spectrum — have railed against EVs, calling them everything from "handouts for the rich" to outright scams. Under President Donald Trump, Republican lawmakers successfully repealed the majority of policies encouraging Americans to switch to electric vehicles, along with investments in renewable energy and improved air quality. Too expensive, they said. Too much of a burden on the taxpayer. And yet. The U.S. is now waging an as-yet-unsanctioned war in Iran alongside Israel — one that has already cost taxpayers billions of dollars, sent fuel prices surging 50% at the pump, and pushed inflation to its highest point in years. Meanwhile, the fossil fuel industry is posting record profits on the back of the very conflict causing that pain. So today, we're asking the uncomfortable questions: just how much will this war cost? How does that compare to the cancelled incentives and programs that would have helped — not hindered — lifespans, air quality, and energy security? And who, exactly, is benefiting from all of this? We have receipts. And some cold, hard facts. And we are not here to condone anyone's actions — just to follow the money. Show notes, links and script at: https://www.transportevolved.com/2026/05/18/politicians-said-evs-were-too-expensive-so-what-about-war/ ----- ⏱️ Episode Timeline: 00:00 Introduction 01:47 Now Classified 04:51 What This Video Is About 08:04 Some History Into EV Incentives 09:41 After President Bush — Into President Obama 09:55 Trump the First Time Around Raged… But Did Little About It 10:19 President Biden 13:10 $190 Billion Is Large — But Some Context Is Required 14:15 A Reminder About Nikki's Recent Agrivoltaics Video! 14:25 Investments Are Stabilizing 15:32 Where We Were Expected to Be Prior to 2024 17:56 Health Benefits 19:20 Energy Independence 22:40 A Rough Tally Thus Far… 23:49 Support the Channel! 24:26 We're Halfway Through — So Let's Get to the War in Iran 25:35 We Do Not Condone Either Side's Actions 26:39 President Trump Made Things Worse in His First Term 28:21 Rough Figures — But Nothing Concrete 29:16 A Massive Budget Request 30:55 "Scholarly Estimates" 32:01 Global Effects 32:42 There Are Other Factors Too 34:20 You're Probably Exhausted 35:23 And That's Before We Even Discuss the Fossil Fuel Industry… 37:53 Just Imagine Where We Might Otherwise Have Been? 39:23 There Are Better Ways of Dealing With Iran 40:07 Get Involved 40:51 Thanks, and Goodbye! ---- *👥 Today’s Sponsors* 🌱 Electric Vehicle Association - https://www.myeva.org ⚡ EnergySage - https://www.kqzyfj.com/click-101290941-16952262 — ✊ Get Involved 🗳️ https://indivisible.org/town-hall-resources ❤️ Support the Show 📰 https://www.transportevolved.com 🔥 https://www.patreon.com/transportevolved ☕ https://ko-fi.com/transportevolved 📺 https://www.youtube.com/transportevolved 👕 https://www.redbubble.com/people/TransportEVd/ 🛍️ https://amzn.to/40xOyjm ₿ 1QRZRGCCXUKPDZ2DZ9KX9JYJXMZDYHYGFZ0MN4WH *💬 Join the Conversation* 🐘 https://mastodon.transportevolved.com/@show 💬 https://discord.gg/9WAjfQn 💬 https://fluxer.gg/mcj8aehg 🌀 https://bsky.app/profile/transportevolved.bsky.social 🔁 Subscribe to our 2nd channel - https://www.youtube.com/transportevolvedtake2 --- *🎙️ Credits:* Host, Script, Editor: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield Color: Vi Horton Art & Animation : Erin Carlie Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield Music: via Artlist.io