The following letter was written by economist Mark Perry, a retired University of Michigan-Flint professor, to the University of Michigan system regents this week. It is reprinted with permission.
Dear UM Regents:
I would kindly ask you again to consider addressing the troubling provision of “free” electricity at UM-Flint for owners of electric vehicles who can access four EV charging stations on campus that provide electric charging free of charge.
As I pointed out last December, the provision of free electricity to EV owners at UM-Flint is racist (87% of EV owners are white), sexist (75% of EV owners are male) and classist (60% of EV owners earn more than $100,000 per year, while only 20% earn less than $50,000).
In other words, the primary recipients of “free” electricity for their EVs at UM-Flint are a group of disproportionately elite high-income, white males (mostly faculty and administrators), who almost all own EVs as their second or third vehicle.
I also pointed out in my email of August 21, 2024 … that EV owners at both UM-Ann Arbor ($1.00/hour) and UM-Dearborn ($1.70 per hour) pay to charge their EVs on campus and are not provided with “free” electricity, unlike at UM-Flint.
Unless owners of traditional gas-powered vehicles are provided with “free” gasoline at gas pumps on campus, it is inherently unfair, unethical, and immoral to provide “free” electricity to disproportionately high-income, white, male EV owners at UM-Flint.
Professor (em.) Mark J. Perry
IMAGE CAPTION & CREDIT: A Telsa charging / Grok image
