As the automobile market shifts toward electric vehicles, the industry is experiencing a correlated boom in manufacturing. Automakers have pledged tens of billions of dollars toward new domestic factories that can build electric cars and batteries. But while many states would likely welcome the infusion of capital, all too often, state governments use taxpayer money to incentivize developments.
In that sense, it's encouraging to see that Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, turned down an offer from Ford Motor Co. to build a battery plant in Virginia—except Youngkin nixed it not over the state tax incentives it had requested but over misplaced concerns about China.
