China's leaders aim to be the new global superpower, thus their statistical damned lie that they must massively increase carbon emissions in order to reduce carbon emissions. Yellen may be attempting to counter China's industrial-imperial ambitions by indirect means, raising issues of market inequality and economic viability and disruption and so on. She can't just say "the climate emperor has no clothes" - that applies to the entire industrial world, USA first and foremost.

Meanwhile any arguments about manufacturing emissions vs. tailpipe emissions is more lies, damned lies and statistics. What comes out of a car's tailpipe during its usable life is a tiny fraction of the emissions and other ecological damage required to have and use a car, all of which is still required to have and use an electric car. There's no type of car that can solve the problems created by cars.