Larisa Manescu, larisa.manescu@sierraclub.org
DEARBORN, MI - Today, President Biden will visit the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, where the F-150 Lightning, the electric version of Ford’s iconic and best-selling F-150 truck, will be built by UAW workers in a new $700 million facility.
The $174 billion investment in the electric vehicle economy included in the American Jobs Plan shows that the Biden administration is intent on electrifying cars, transit buses, school buses, the federal fleet (including the U.S. postal fleet), and ports. The Sierra Club urges Congress to pass a final bill with significant investments for U.S. manufacturing and high labor standards to ensure that U.S. workers are not left behind as we rapidly transition to electric vehicles.
In response to Biden’s visit, Katherine Garcia, Acting Director of Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All campaign, and Gail Philbin, Director of Sierra Club’s Michigan Chapter, released the following statement:
“Once again, President Biden is elevating what the transition to electric vehicles must look like for our nation, a transition that prioritizes manufacturing here at home and benefits union auto workers.
“The Biden administration has made it clear that cleaning up transportation, America’s most polluting sector, is a top priority in its infrastructure plan. We need significant federal incentives and bold vehicle standards to build a globally competitive auto industry that delivers the electric vehicles urgently needed to meet our health and climate imperatives.
“The Ford Rouge EV Center - where union workers will build an electric pick-up truck - is a tangible example of building back better in action. Ford should also move at lightning speed to seize the EV market for U.S. manufacturing and set a target to shift their production to all electric vehicles.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.