While the automotive industry’s lobbying remained steady during the third quarter of 2021, spending $15.9 million while lawmakers debated the role of electric vehicles in President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill, electric vehicle companies ramped up their lobbying spending.
The $1.2 trillion package passed by Congress last Friday directs $7.5 billion for electric-vehicle charging stations, which the Biden administration says are critical to accelerating the use of electric vehicles to curb climate change. It also sets aside $5 billion to replace thousands of diesel buses with electric school buses and hybrids, which can be over two to three times as expensive as replacement buses powered by diesel or another fuel.
Transportation is the No.1 source of climate-harming carbon emissions in the United States. The transportation industry has spent $192.9 million on federal lobbying in 2021 so far, of which the automotive industry accounts for $51.9 million. The automotive industry’s lobbying spending is second to the air transport industry’s $78.5 million during the first three quarters of 2021. In 2017, the automotive sector hit a lobbying high, spending more than $71.6 million.
General Motors, which earlier this year announced a plan to sell only zero-emission cars and trucks by 2035, spent $7.8 million on federal lobbying in the first three quarters of this year, making itself the sector’s top contributor. Its $2.2 million spending this quarter is more than it has spent on federal lobbying in any third quarter since 2010.
Toyota comes in a distant second in the industry, spending $4.7 million. The company debuted its first fully electric car in April and plans to make 14 more models by 2025, aligning with Biden’s goal for half of new vehicles to be electric by 2030.
One of the most expansive charging networks in the country is that of electric vehicle and clean energy company, Tesla Inc. Tesla spent $420,000 in federal lobbying this year, more than it spent during all of 2020. Its $160,000 lobbying spend this quarter marks the company’s highest quarter spending in 2.5 years. Although it is not the sector’s top lobbying spender, the company’s $1 trillion market value is more than that of competitors General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford Motor Co. and Daimler put together.
Electric-van maker Workhorse, which is among three electric-vehicle companies being investigated by the Justice Department and SEC, has spent $915,000 in federal lobbying this year — over five times its spending in any previous year.
Outside of being a major lobbying spender, the automotive sector also is a serious contributor to federal elections. The sector’s PACs and employees have contributed $7.9 million to federal candidates, parties and outside groups so far this election cycle, with 79% going to Republicans. Generally, the sector heavily favors conservative groups, never dropping below 70 percent of donations since 1994.
This election cycle, Archer Auto Group leads the sector in contributions with $753,291 up from $437,703 in 2020 — all of which went to Republican candidates and parties. Toyota, which contributed $1,503,226 during the 2020 cycle, holds down second place with $448,888 in contributions so far this year.
The top congressional recipient of automotive contributions this election cycle is Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who received $103,885. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) received the second-highest amount with $83,939. The third-highest recipient was House minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R- Calif.), who consistently opposed the infrastructure bill, receiving $76,969 in sector contributions this year.
Senate contender Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), a Cleveland car dealer turned tech executive competing for Sen. Rob Portman’s (R-Ohio) seat, received more from automotive industry groups this year than any congressional candidate with $135,000. So far, Moreno has raised $5.9 million for his campaign behind high school teacher Mike Gibbons (R-Ohio), who has raised $8.6 million — 92.4% of which he self-financed.
These numbers pale in comparison to the sector’s spending in 2020, when it contributed $4.6 million to former President Donald Trump.
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