coming trump The administration has more plans to delay electric vehicle adoption first thoughtaccording to reutersAccording to someone who has seen transition team documents, the Trump team wants to eliminate EV subsidies, roll back federal funding for EV charging infrastructure, block EV battery imports on national security grounds, and force the federal government and US military to buy more EVs. Wants to stop from.
During the campaign, candidate Trump repeatedly mentioned ending the so-called EV mandate. In fact, policies implemented by President Joe Biden only call for electrifying 50 percent of all new vehicles by 2032 under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules. It aims to cut emissions by 56 percent from 2026 levels,
Instead, the new system will be far more friendly to gas consumption, as it is intended to bring back EPA fuel efficiency standards that took effect in 2019. This will increase the acceptable level of emissions from cars by about 25 percent relative to the current rule. set. America's new vehicle efficiency Stuck between 2008 and 2019And only after the Biden administration began in 2021 did the EPA begin creating stricter rules on acceptable limits for carbon dioxide and other pollutants from vehicle tailpipes.
About a third of the population looks to the California Air Resources Board rather than the EPA to get their emissions regulations.
The so-called ZEV states (for zero-emission vehicles) have something close to an EV mandate, and these states have mandates starting in model-year 2026 (California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington) and the District of Columbia, one third of all new cars Every car sold by every automaker would have to be battery-electric – assuming the EPA allows California to do so.
As happened with the first Trump administrationWe can expect continued attacks on California's ability to set its own vehicle emissions rules and any attempts by other states to use those rules.
higher tariffs
Trade tariffs will clearly be a major weapon of the next Trump administration, especially when deployed to block EV manufacturing. Even the current administration is wary of China selling cheap EVs established singing tariff On Chinese made EVs and batteries bipartisan support From Congress.
Biden tariffs were economically justified As a way to protect American industry against China's unreasonable level of state support towards its own automakers. The Trump team plans to use national security as justification for its barriers to EV imports Section 232 of Trade Expansion Act,
But tariffs on battery materials will be implemented globally, according to documents seen by Reuters, which should significantly increase the cost of a new EV. Reuters wrote that the transition team plans to allow individual countries to negotiate tariff exemptions.
No more tax credits, no more public chargers
While the Trump team's plan to boost U.S. auto manufacturing versus imports is also a key tool in forcing more local EV production, it's not long for this world. as we thoughtThe $7,500 clean-vehicle tax credit will expire after Trump takes office.
But according to Reuters, the Trump transition team also plans to withdraw much of it $7.5 billion Allocated for charging infrastructure established by Congress as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Most of this money is not spentBecause of the long timelines involved. The money was allocated through the states, similar to the Highway Fund, rather than distributed directly by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. Thus, there may be large amounts of this program that will never be completed.
One idea from the Trump team could accelerate EV charger deployment — the incoming administration intends to do away with the environmental reviews required for projects like charging stations.
It is also set to eliminate other rules and regulations designed to protect the public, including requiring all automakers to report to the government when one of their vehicles crashes while operating under partial automation, such as Tesla Autopilot . This standing order has caused much grief for Tesla after more than 1,500 accidents, numerous injuries and deaths, and Tesla protest The need is widely known.
Ultimately, the US government fleet can be expected to cause even more pollution. The federal government currently requires the federal government to purchase more EVs as they replace older vehicles, with a requirement for all light vehicles to be zero emissions by 2027. That will no longer happen under Trump, who would also eliminate any Defense Department program. Are to buy or develop electric military vehicles.
This story was originally published on Ars Technica,