Pete Buttigieg blasted for touting ‘benefit’ for electric vehicle owners from ‘pain’ of high gas prices

Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was once again blasted for pushing for electric vehicles on Tuesday, this time for saying, "The more pain" Americans feel at the pump, "the more benefit there is for" EV owners. 

Buttigieg testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the transition to "domestic clean energy production" by the Biden administration, which launched an initiative to ensure 50% of all auto sales are electric vehicles by 2030.

The topic soon turned to gas prices, which reached record levels in June. House Republicans questioned Buttigieg on how Americans struggling to pay $5 per gallon for gas could afford to purchase an electric vehicle.

Buttigieg then reiterated that the "pain" at the pump could be offset by using an electric vehicle.

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"The more pain we are all experiencing from the high price of gas, the more benefit there is for those who can access electric vehicle," Buttigieg said.

"So you’re saying the more pain we have, the more benefit we’re gonna get?" Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., asked. "I think that’s what I heard you say."

Buttigieg emphasized, "Of course – no, no, that’s what you heard me say. I know you want me to say it so bad but honestly, sir, what we’re saying is we could have no pain at all by making EVs cheaper for everyone."

"It would take four times as much electricity to charge the average household’s cars as the average household uses on air conditioning," Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told Buttigieg at another point in the hearing. 

"So if we reach the goal by 2030 that Biden has, of a fifty percent adoption [of electric vehicles] instead of one hundred percent adoption, that means the average household would use twice as much electricity charging one of their cars as they would use for all of the air conditioning that they use for the entire year," Massie said.

The former South Bend mayor and other members of the Biden administration have frequently touted electric vehicles as a solution to higher gas prices. As recently as last Thursday, Buttigieg promoted EVs while appearing on the radio show BigBoyTV.

"We’re for cutting the cost of electric vehicles, because when you have an electric vehicle then you’re also gonna be able to save on gas, but you’ve got to be able to afford it in the first place," Buttigieg said.

AMID HIGH GAS PRICES, PETE BUTTIGIEG SLAMMED FOR TELLING AMERICANS TO SWITCH TO ELECTRIC CARS 

Twitter users again slammed Buttigieg for using Americans’ struggles to pay for gas to push for green policies. 

"The cruelty is the point," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, tweeted.

The Blaze reporter Elijah Schaffer wrote, "And he says the quiet part out loud."

"A top-3 contender for the 2024 Democratic nomination for President," Republican communicator Matt Whitlock joked.

"Let them eat electric cars," tweeted Hans Mahncke, co-host of "Truth Over News" on EpochTV.

Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn wrote, "As gas prices soar, all Pete Buttigieg can talk about is how Americans should switch to electric vehicles."

Talk radio host Jesse Kelly wrote, "REMINDER: They’re not going to solve the problems because in their minds, they aren’t problems. To them, the only problem is you. Your love of freedom. Your car. Your food. Your different political beliefs. All our leaders think the problem is YOU."

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Although Buttigieg boasted that electric vehicles could be cheaper for U.S. citizens than paying for gas, average prices for them were reported around $50,000. In addition, they require the use of raw materials like cobalt and lithium for their batteries that could lead to a greater dependence on Russia and China for imported materials.

Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.