Transportation nominee Buttigieg says millions of new electric vehicles needed on US roads

President-elect Joe Biden’s Transportation nominee Pete Buttigieg called for the use of more electric cars on U.S. roads in a tweet on Tuesday, giving a preview of his potential agenda as Transportation secretary. 

“To meet the climate crisis, we must put millions of new electric vehicles on America’s roads. It’s time to build public charging infrastructure powered by clean energy and make it available in all parts of this country,” Buttigieg tweeted on Monday.

To meet the climate crisis, we must put millions of new electric vehicles on America’s roads. It’s time to build public charging infrastructure powered by clean energy and make it available in all parts of this country.

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) December 21, 2020 

Biden nominated Buttigieg to the post last week, praising his work as the mayor of South Bend, Ind. 

“Pete’s got the perspective of a mayor that solves problems and brings people together,” Biden said last week, formally introducing Buttigieg as his nominee. “For example, helping cities and states to keep transit systems running for front-line and essential workers, and then helping them modernize their airports, ports, and railways to attract and retain businesses and workers.” 

If confirmed, Buttigieg will be the first openly LGBTQ Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate. 

Buttigieg spoke about the nation’s leading transportation post in an interview with CNN on Sunday. 

“We can’t keep letting infrastructure week be a Washington punch line,” Buttigieg told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

“Americans shouldn’t settle for less when it comes to our roads and our bridges, our highways, our trains — all of the infrastructure that really powers our economy and creates so many livelihoods,” he said.