New EDF Ad Campaign Fights Back Against Oil Lobbyists’ Effort to Undermine Electric Vehicles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Washington, D.C.- April 20, 2021) Today, Environmental Defense Fund launched a national campaign to counter long-running efforts by oil industry lobbyists and their allies to undermine progress on clean transportation. The campaign, including TV and online advertising, social media, and grassroots activities will begin in five states (Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania) and Washington, D.C. this week.President Biden’s American Jobs Plan includes $174 billion to spur the electric vehicle market to transition away from polluting vehicles. The plan is a direct threat to the profits of the oil industry and it has already signaled it will seek to undermine pro-clean vehicles policies. Those attacks, often misleading, are not something the environmental community will take lying down.

“The oil industry profits by keeping us addicted to the gas pump, so its lobbyists will fight against anything that threatens to break that dependence. President Biden’s plan to move the United States to clean cars, trucks and buses, will mean healthier communities, cleaner air, a safer climate — and getting the oil industry’s hands off our wallets,” said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs, Environmental Defense Fund.

“Even as we see some responsible energy companies moving toward a cleaner future, we know the industry’s Washington lobbyists have a long and documented history of fighting clean transportation,” continued Gore. “We need to boost clean electric vehicles not only to help American consumers, but so we don’t lose these jobs to Europe and China — who are set to outcompete us as their governments lean in to EV development.”

EDF’s ad campaign calls out the fossil fuel industry’s efforts to slow the growth of the U.S. clean transportation industry and prolong the average American’s $175-a-month gasoline habit. The oil industry lobby has been using front groups like the Transportation Fairness Alliance and others to undermine clean transportation progress.

In fact, it needs to hide behind front groups because the majority of Americans don’t trust what the industry has to say about electric vehicles. A new EDF Action poll conducted by Morning Consult shows that fewer than 1 in 3 adults in the United States trust what the oil industry has to say about electric vehicles. Even among oil industry-friendly audiences, including conservatives, there is more mistrust of oil companies talking about electric vehicles than there is of environmental organizations.

Transitioning the U.S. transportation industry to clean cars, trucks and buses will create much needed jobs at home, improve air quality and health and promote a more equitable economy. Here are eleven facts about clean vehicles that counter misinformation disseminated by the oil lobby.

This new campaign builds upon EDF’s ongoing actions and significant investments to support clean energy and transportation including recent ads countering false claims that wind power outages in Texas caused massive power failures, and a series of targeted ads on the benefits of investing in clean energy and transportation. See additional materials from the ongoing efforts here.

See the ads here: 15 second ad, 30 second ad, banner ad.

See documentation of the industry’s history of attacking clean transportation here.