Michigan Attorney General Sues Big Oil Companies Over EV Market

In a desperate attempt to score political points ahead of the 2024 election, Michigan’s far-left Attorney General Dana Nessel has launched a lawsuit against some of the world’s largest energy producers, accusing them of conspiring to stifle the electric vehicle (EV) market. Yes, really.

Nessel claims that BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, and the American Petroleum Institute acted “as a cartel” to suppress the growth of EVs and renewable energy all while Michigan’s own auto industry has already admitted that EVs just aren’t working. Ford and GM have both pulled back on EV investments due to weak demand, high prices, and unworkable government mandates. But don’t let facts get in the way of a good liberal lawsuit.

Here’s what Nessel’s suit argues:

• Oil companies supposedly conspired to block innovation in EVs and renewable energy.

• This “conspiracy” allegedly kept electricity from becoming a viable substitute for gasoline.

• As a result, Michigan consumers were forced to pay higher energy prices with “negative externalities.”

Sound familiar? It’s the same tired story progressives keep recycling blame the free market when their green pipe dreams fail. This lawsuit claims violations of the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts and demands a jury trial. It also ignores the reality that EV demand is collapsing, not because of oil companies, but because American consumers don’t want expensive, unreliable electric cars.

Here’s the truth Nessel refuses to acknowledge:

• EV sales growth dropped below 2% in 2023, compared to 14% in 2022.

• Ford lost $4.7 billion on its EV division last year and paused $12 billion in EV investments.

• Biden’s massive EV tax credits were gutted under Trump, and without taxpayer subsidies, the market is crumbling.

Chevron’s legal team responded with clarity, saying courts have already dismissed similar suits elsewhere. They also reminded Nessel that Michigan’s economy and thousands of jobs still depend on oil and gas. Meanwhile, the American Petroleum Institute rightly called this lawsuit a “coordinated campaign” against the energy industry that keeps America running.

Nessel's real goal isn't justice it’s headlines. With her party’s green agenda falling apart and Biden's approval numbers in freefall, Democrats are desperate to shift the blame for high energy costs and failing EVs onto someone else. And once again, they’ve picked their favorite scapegoats: the companies that actually keep your lights on and your car running.

This isn’t about protecting consumers. It’s about protecting a failed ideology.

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